Persona 3 Reload Still Unlikely to Include Female Protagonist from P3P

Atlus producer Kazushi Wada reiterates the unlikelihood of Persona 3 Portable's popular female protagonist (FeMC), Kotone Shiomi/Minako Arisato, appearing in Persona 3 Reload. The reasons, as explained in a recent PC Gamer interview, remain rooted in significant development costs and time constraints.

FeMC Inclusion Deemed Infeasible

While initially considered during the planning stages of Persona 3 Reload's post-launch DLC, Episode Aigis - The Answer, adding the FeMC proved too resource-intensive. Wada stated that the development time and expenses would have been unmanageable. Even DLC release was deemed impossible within the planned timeframe. He expressed his apologies to fans who had hoped for her inclusion, stating it's highly improbable it will ever happen.

Released in February, Persona 3 Reload is a comprehensive remake of the 2006 JRPG. The omission of Kotone/Minako has disappointed many fans, despite the game's successful reintroduction of core features and mechanics.

Wada's previous comments to Famitsu echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the substantially greater challenge and cost of incorporating the FeMC compared to developing Episode Aigis. He explicitly stated that the development time and cost would have been exponentially higher, presenting insurmountable obstacles.

The FeMC's popularity fueled fan expectations for her appearance in Persona 3 Reload, either at launch or as future DLC. However, Wada's latest statements make it exceedingly unlikely this will ever materialize.