Persona 3 Reload Still Unlikely to Include Female Protagonist from P3P

Atlus producer Kazushi Wada reiterates the unlikelihood of Persona 3 Portable's female protagonist (FeMC), Kotone Shiomi/Minako Arisato, appearing in Persona 3 Reload. Wada explains that including the FeMC, even as DLC, proved too costly and time-consuming for the development team.

High Development Costs Rule Out FeMC

In a recent interview with PC Gamer, Wada clarified that while initially considered, adding the FeMC was ultimately deemed unfeasible due to budget and development constraints. This decision was made even while planning the post-launch DLC, Episode Aigis - The Answer, for Persona 3 Reload.

Persona 3 Reload, a remake of the 2006 JRPG, launched in February. The omission of Kotone/Minako disappointed many fans, but Wada emphasizes the practical limitations: the development time and costs would have been excessive, making inclusion impossible within the planned release window. He expressed regret, stating that adding the FeMC is now highly improbable.

This echoes previous statements by Wada to Famitsu, where he highlighted the significantly greater development time and cost required for the FeMC compared to Episode Aigis. The hurdles, he stated, were simply too high. Despite the popularity of the FeMC in Persona 3 Portable, fans should not expect her to be added to Persona 3 Reload, either at launch or as future content.