Persona 3 Reload's FeMC Exclusion: Atlus Producer Explains Why

Atlus producer Kazushi Wada has again clarified why Persona 3 Portable's popular female protagonist (FeMC), Kotone Shiomi/Minako Arisato, isn't in Persona 3 Reload. According to a recent PC Gamer interview, including the FeMC was deemed too costly and time-consuming.

While initially considered, particularly during planning for the post-launch DLC, Episode Aigis - The Answer, budgetary and developmental constraints ultimately led to her exclusion. Wada emphasized the significant challenges, stating that the development time and costs would be unmanageable. Even DLC inclusion wasn't feasible within the current timeframe.

Persona 3 Reload, a remake of the 2006 JRPG, launched this February. The omission of Kotone/Minako disappointed many fans, despite Wada's previous statements highlighting the considerable hurdles involved. He reiterated the infeasibility, stating in an earlier Famitsu interview that adding the FeMC would require significantly more development time and resources than Episode Aigis.

The popularity of the FeMC in P3P fueled fan expectations for her inclusion in Persona 3 Reload, either at launch or as DLC. However, Wada's recent comments strongly suggest this is highly unlikely. He previously indicated the challenges would far surpass those encountered in creating the Episode Aigis DLC. Wada's definitive statement leaves little hope for future inclusion.