Persona 5 director assures fans that while he hasn’t been heavily involved in the series since P5, there’s still a creative connection.

Katsura Hashino, the visionary behind the modern Persona series, has taken a step back from the high-school, demon-hunting action since the release of Persona 5 Royal. After directing iconic titles like Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, and Catherine, he shifted gears to establish a new subsidiary called Studio Zero within Atlus, which recently launched the critically acclaimed Metaphor: Refantazio. This transition means Hashino is no longer as deeply involved in the Persona franchise as he once was.

“My juniors, the team that came after me, are now leading the charge and creating new titles for P-Studio,” Hashino shared. “I’ve been observing from the sidelines, keeping an eye on their progress. So, in that sense, my involvement with the Persona series has been limited since P5.”

However, P-Studio and Studio Zero share the same workspace, keeping Hashino connected to the action. “In our Atlus office, the teams behind Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, and us at Studio Zero are all on the same floor; there’s no barrier between us,” he explained. “Even if it’s indirect, it’s inspiring to see what the other studios are working on. We’re not completely isolated creatively, so you can rest easy on that front. While we can’t reveal what’s in the pipeline just yet, we do maintain that level of interaction.”

Looking ahead, Atlus is gearing up for the release of the remade Persona 4: Revival. While there’s no official announcement for Persona 6 yet, the series will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, and there are “several projects in development” beyond Persona 4 Revival. Atlus aims to make this milestone a memorable one for fans, allowing them to dive even deeper into the beloved JRPG series.