Atlus announced that Jade City Food sells four kinds of cocoa mixes inspired by characters from Persona 5 Royal. These are the first entries in that hot chocolate collection. They can be purchased alone for $15 each or in a $50 four-pack. 

In each case, you get a 9oz container of cocoa powder. The front features casual character art of the person who inspired th flavor. The item could be used to make hot chocolate when the cocoa powder is added to water or milk. You could also use it as a seasoning in other recipes.

Here are all four available flavors in the Persona 5 Royal cocoa powder and the characters they’re tied to:

• Ann's Chocolate: Chocolate Cocoa
• Futaba's Chocolate: Peppermint Cocoa
• Haru's Chocolate: Hazelnut Cocoa
• Makoto's Chocolate: Salted Caramel Cocoa

This isn’t the first time Jade City Foods released items based on Persona 5 Royal characters. Back in July 2024, lines of hot sauces and coffee appeared. It also sells a curry sauce and spice that are based on Sojiro’s recipe in the game. A matcha powder based on Yusuke “Fox” Kitagawa launched too.

The Jade City Food Persona 5 Royal character cocoa mixes we can use for hot chocolate are available now. Persona 5 is available on the PS3 and PS4, and Persona 5 Royal is available on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. The anime is on Crunchyroll and Hulu. Viz Media handled the manga adaptation outside Japan.

The post Persona 5 Royal Characters Inspire Cocoa Flavors appeared first on Siliconera.

Best 3D Turn-based JRPGs on Switch

The Switch is well-known for its excellent selection of JRPGs, and traditionally these feature turn-based combat. However, in recent years, favor has turned to action RPGs and turn-based games have been pushed to the side; even Pokémon’s next game has real-time combat. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t excellent 3D turn-based JRPGs. On the contrary there are many excellent games on the Switch from the genre. Here are our 10 favorite 3D turn-based JRPGs available on Nintendo Switch. 

Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk 1k91f

As we excitedly wait for the next entry in the series, Atelier Yumia, we had to add one of these games to the list. While the more recent entries in the Atelier series are all action combat, the series is best known for its turn-based roots. Most games from the series are available on Switch, but we’ve chosen Atelier Ayesha as the representative for this list, as the beginning of the glorious Dusk Trilogy.

As the name suggests, the series is about people working in ateliers, and there is a strong emphasis on collecting resources out in the world in order to craft items and potions that you can use in battle. This means that the strategic layer to the game is evident both in and out of combat. One of the best things about Atelier Ayesha is that once you’re finished there are plenty of other games in the series to enjoy.

Super Mario RPG 3g286r

Everyone talks about Paper Mario – in particular The Thousand-Year Door – but the game that the series was built from hardly gets mentioned. Super Mario RPG originally launched on the SNES, when very few games were made with 3D graphics. It was a risk in many ways. There was not only the question of whether people would be interested in a turn-based Super Mario game, but the game also went against many long-standing RPG traditions.

Timing is crucial in Super Mario RPG, not only when you attack but when you defend as well. It adds an extra level of strategy to the game, and is something that few RPGs do. Separating it further from other RPGs is just how much damage is dealt and taken. Attacks often deal single-digit numbers, far from other bombastic RPGs that could see people hit for thousands. Super Mario RPG is not only one of the best turn-based JRPGs but the Switch version gives it several modern updates that fans love. The perfect place to start in your Mario RPG journey.

Persona 5 Royal 4er2r

For many people Persona 5 is the pinnacle of the always excellent Persona series, and Persona 5 Royal improves on the already excellent game. Persona 5 returns to the dungeon crawling formula of the original Persona games, with carefully crafted dungeons rather than the seemingly never-ending procedural abysses of the modern Persona series, namely Persona 3 and Persona 4. This is one of the main reasons that Persona 5 has risen above the pack.

Persona 5 tells a beautiful, complex, and exceptionally long story about the power of friendship overcoming the status quo. Royal not only adds a new protagonist, but new social links, and additional scenes giving fans of the game even more to sink their teeth into. It runs flawlessly on the Switch, and its length means that the home to handheld feature of the console makes it the perfect way to play. Become part of the Phantom Thieves, and change society’s hearts.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus 684y6o

All mainline Pokémon games on the Switch are 3D turn-based JRPGs, and most of them are great, but we chose to highlight Pokémon Legends: Arceus as a completely fresh take on Pokémon’s formula. Instead of battling your way through a series of Gym Leaders before reaching the Elite Four and becoming the champion, you will be roaming around semi-open areas, catching Pokémon and studying them for the Pokédex.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus not only changes the focus to catching, but also changes Pokémon’s standard battle system. Battles are still turn-based, but they have an active system with Strong- and Agile-style moves. While the Pokémon and their movesets are the same as other games, what each move does is completely different in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If you’ve tried out the mainline Pokémon games, and want something a little different, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the way to go.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses zm5h

Fire Emblem is one of Nintendo’s flagship series, and Three Houses is one of the series’ best. It has all of the turn-based strategic battles that the series is known for, as well as the ability to bond with your teammates to level them up, but as the name suggests, Three Houses has three different paths you can follow, adding to its replayability.

Fire Emblem is well known for its brutal permadeath system, where if your characters die in battle, they die in real life too. However, Three Houses included a Casual Mode where nobody can be gone for good. You can still have the traditional experience, but if like many people the permadeath turned you off from the series, this is the perfect entry point.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak 6n3o49

The Legend of Heroes series is one of the longest running, beginning in the ‘80s, and many of them are available on the Switch. We have chosen Trails Through Daybreak to represent the series in this list, not just because it is one of the best, but because it is a great place to start as it begins a separate arc. Interestingly, Trails Through Daybreak is the only game on this list, which allows the player to choose between real-time combat similar to Nihon Falcom’s other major JRPG series Ys, or the turn-based combat the series is known for.

The series is known for its excellent characters and strategic combat, and Trails Through Daybreak exemplifies both of these. If you haven’t played the series before, you won’t understand every reference, but the developers have tried to make it one of the most accessible in the series in of the story and combat. It won’t take 30 years of video game knowledge to understand how good the intricate and complex writing is.

Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII Remastered 73386u

If you’re reading this list, you probably don’t need to be told how good Final Fantasy VII or even Final Fantasy VIII are. We’ll be holding our breaths a long time if we’re hoping for the excellent Final Fantasy VII Remake to come to Switch, but this console is one of the best places you can experience the original FF7. It can be purchased in a double pack with FF8, which is the game long-time fans of the series often point to as the best.

Both games have very different turn-based systems, which can create devastating synergies in different ways. FF7’s combat system is easier to use and more difficult to master. Creating devastating combinations requires good knowledge of Materia, Enemy Skills, and equipment that can link them in a way that stack. Conversely, FF8 is based on the Junction system, one that is difficult to grasp, but once you do, building up major damage is much simpler. Both can be purchased together at such a low cost, that it’s worth trying them out.

Monark 2x5x3m

Monark received middling reviews when it was released, and that’s because people found the battles too difficult. However, the battles are actually one of Monark’s greatest strengths, and where it fails is in explaining its systems properly. Once you understand how it works, and how your characters best synergize, it is one of the most satisfying turn-based strategy systems out there. The protagonist of Monark can Resonate with the other party sharing buffs across all characters, leading to extremely devastating damage.

Similar to the Persona series, Monark focuses on the character’s personal stories. Each character is based on one of the seven deadly sins, and each has a dark past. Despite this, they all band together to take on the forces that are keeping the students trapped in school and sucking the life out of them. Created by former Shin Megami Tensei developers, this one is perfect for those who enjoy diving deeply into combat systems.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch 6m6kd

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is what happens when legendary anime maker Studio Ghibli teams up with the studio that created the epic turn-based JRPG Jeanne D’arc. Both Wrath of the White Witch and Revenant Kingdom are available on Switch, but we picked the first in the series as the best place to start. Ni No Kuni has an interesting battle system unlike the others on this list, it’s not just because it mixes turn-based and action combat.

Ni No Kuni’s combat features beastly familiars, and magical characters; think about it like if Pokémon let the trainers in the scrap. If you like the taming and training aspect of beastly battlers then this is another one you should try. Above all Ni No Kuni overwhelms players with its charm, and is a must play turn-based title.

The Caligula Effect: Overdose 6o6q1k

Written by Tadashi Satomi, best known for working on the original Persona series, The Caligula Effect: Overdose follows a group of people who have realized that they are living in the Matrix. Despite knowing that the world they inhabit is fake, there is no way to escape. First, they must take down the Ostinato Musicians, a group of people who want to keep the idyllic world alive.

Overdose adds a lot to the story beyond the original The Caligula Effect, including new party and chapters that you can play from the point of view of the Musicians. You grow closer to your teammates, and learn more about their lives both inside and outside of the world you can currently see. The Caligula Effect: Overdose has an active turn-based system where timing and sequencing play a major role in your success or failure. It can be difficult, but once you master it, it’s very satisfying.

Let us know what your favorite turn-based JRPGs on the Nintendo Switch are in the comments below!

The post Best 3D Turn-based JRPGs on Switch appeared first on Siliconera.

A brand new Persona themed cookbook is heading to the United States. Persona: The Official Cookbook will bring recipes to make famous meals from the Persona games in readers' own kitchens on September 23, 2025. It will cost $27.99 for the hardcover and $10 for the Kindle version.

It will contain 55 recipes for fans to try out. This will include recipes for everything from the Master Curry and Coffee from Leblanc in Persona 5, to Persona 4's Rainy Day Mega Beef Bowl Challenge. As of now, the full list of recipes is unknown but the description for the cookbook mentions that options like Chies's fsteak skewers and the Mystery Food X will be on the table.

The cookbook is written by Jarrett Melendez, who, in addition to writing numerous themed cookbooks for series like Pokémon, Runescape, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians, has also been a contributor to Bon Appetit and other food-centric online publications.

The Persona series is no stranger to food related collaborations. In September 2024, a special craft cola called "Sea of Souls" inspired by Persona 3: Reload was released. In addition, a Lucrea figure based on Persona 5 Royal's pancake-loving detective Goro Akechi will once again be available to purchase in August 2025.

Persona: the Official Cookbook will be available on September 23, 2025.

The post Persona: The Official Cookbook Brings Recipes from 3, 4, and 5 appeared first on Siliconera.

Human Forum announced that it will open a new wave of orders for the merchandise lineup filled with items based on Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5: The Phantom X that appeared at Animax Cafe +. People who could not visit the collaboration cafe in Shibuya will get a chance to order the goods online.

The collection will mostly contain items featuring the protagonists, mascots, and other main characters from the respective games. Prices for the items will range from 550 yen (~$3.65) for a random character badge or smartphone stand keychain to 6,600 yen (~$44.05) for a sweater.

The highlighted entry in this lineup will be the two light picture s that cost 5,500 yen (~$36.70) each. The two variations of the will respectively feature the key visuals of P5R and P5X with a twist: The items will have an LED light switch that will hide a majority of the artwork when turned off.

Here are all the Persona 5 Royal and P5X items:

For the record, the Animax Cafe + collaboration took place from January 24, 2025, until February 26, 2025. Human Forum's Spinns brand was one of the event's sponsors, and it also provided the apparel and character merchandise. That means the company made this announcement right on the day after the collaboration cafe event in Shibuya had concluded.

As a side note, the Spinns web store has a ZenMarket widget to worldwide shipping. However, it is still yet to be known whether the Persona 5 series merchandise will also be available for international orders or not. This is because some Japanese web stores still prohibit specific anime and game-themed merchandise from legal overseas orders, despite already including a global shipping proxy widget.

The order window for the Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5: The Phantom X Animax Cafe + merchandise on Spinns' web store will open from March 8 until April 6, 2025. Human Forum will start producing the merchandise after that, with the delivery period planned for around mid-May 2025.

The post Persona 5 Royal and P5X Animax Cafe Items Will Be Sold Again appeared first on Siliconera.

Atlus is adding new Persona 3 and Persona 5 mini keychain plushes to its previously released line of soft toys. With these new additions, the entire roster of playable characters in both games are available for purchase. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

The new characters featured in the Persona 3 collection include Yukari, Junpei, Akihiko, Mitsuru, Fuuka, Koromaru, Ken, and Shinjiro. Meanwhile, the Persona 5 side includes school uniform versions of Joker, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, as well as Kasumi Yoshizawa from P5R. Each plush costs 1,760 yen (or about $11.74) and will release in mid-July 2025. The plushes are now available for pre-order from the Ebten online store, which offers international shipping via the WorldShopping third party service.

You can check out the new Persona 3 and Persona 5 keychain plushes here:

Previously, the line included the Persona 4 protagonist, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko, alongside the P3 protagonist, Aigis, Ryoji Mochizuki, in addition to Joker as a Phantom Thief, Akechi, and Morgana from P5. The plushes originally released on October 2024.

The Persona 3 and 5 character keychain plushes are available for pre-order from the Ebten online store. Each keychain plush costs 1,760 yen or roughly $11,71 and they are expected to release later in July 2025.

The post Atlus Selling New Persona 3 and 5 Character Plushes appeared first on Siliconera.

Megahouse has revealed that it will restock its Lucrea figure featuring the Loki version of Goro "Crow" Akechi from Persona 5 Royal. The company originally released the figure in November 2022, but it will make the figure available again in late August 2025 at 24,200 yen (~$158.60).

The figure will stand at around 20 cm (7.87 inches) tall, but Megahouse only measures it up to the tip of Crow's headgear so it does not include the raised sword. The package will contain two swappable face parts with a removable mask, so the owner can have up to four different expressions of the character.

In addition, every package of the restocked figure will come with a new acrylic pedestal. Megahouse will design the new pedestal to pair Crow-Loki with the Joker figure from the same Lucrea line.

Atlus D Shop offers a set of acrylic stand and badge featuring Crow's portraits as an exclusive bonus. However, it does not ship the figure outside Japan despite featuring a WorldShopping widget. People residing elsewhere worldwide can still order the figure via AmiAmi. Although the latter does not have Atlus D Shop's exclusive bonus, it will still include the above new pedestal.

The Lucrea figure of Persona 5 Royal's Goro "Crow" Akechi in the Loki version, which originally appeared in November 2022, will be available again in late August 2025.

The post Persona 5 Royal Crow Loki Lucrea Figure Will Return in 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.

Apex-Toys revealed during the Wonder Festival 2025 Winter event that it will produce new figures based on the respective protagonists of Persona 3 and 5. It will specifically base the figures on the characters' appearances in Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Royal. Both figures will be part of the company's Limepie lineup with the same scale of 1/8.

The Shanghai-based figure and toy company also made the announcements on its official X . It usually tweets in Chinese when it reveals character figures based on games made in the same country, like how it did with Honkai: Star Rail's Kafka and Zenless Zone Zero's Nekomata. However, it can also tweet in Japanese when it reveals figures based on Japanese franchises like Atlus' Persona series.

Here is Apex-Toys' announcement tweet for its Persona 3 protagonist figure:

The company also made a separate tweet for the Persona 5 figure of Joker:

The 1/8 scale Limepie figures of the Persona 3 and 5 protagonists are undergoing production by Apex-Toys. The company will base the characters on Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Royal, both of which are readily playable worldwide on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. Persona 5 Royal is also additionally available on Nintendo Switch.

The post Apex-Toys Will Make Persona 3 & 5 Protagonist Figures appeared first on Siliconera.

Official art of Persona 5 Royal will be featured at an art exhibition and talk about the impact and value of manga. The event will be held on February 22, 2025 at the Kyoto Keizai Center Building in Japan. [Thanks, PR Times!]

Under the title of “The What Can Manga Offer Us? The Business and Social Value of Manga,” the art exhibition and talk will feature 10 reproductions of artwork from the aforementioned Persona 5 Royal, in addition to the works of Kaze to Ki no Uta (The Poem of Wind and Trees) manga author Keiko Takemiya, as well as Japanese four cell manga series Bonobono.

Among the different art pieces selected, one of the official key visual illustrations used on Persona 5 Royal is the chosen one to represent the game, with the remaining 9 belonging to manga works. Meanwhile, the talk aims to explore the rising trend of original art exhibitions in relation to the potential and appeal of manga. ission to the event will be free of charge, and the deadline to apply is February 21, 2025.

Persona 5 Royal is readily available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

The post Persona 5 Reload Art on Display at Art Talk and Exhibition appeared first on Siliconera.

Atlus announced a new collaboration between P3R and P5R with the Isetan Shinjuku store that will bring a SEES suitcase, a Kokeshi doll of Joker and Morgana, as well as other new merchandise goods. The collaboration will be available between February 19 and March 4, 2025 and a variety of brands will to offer apparel and house items featuring motifs and characters from the Persona series.

First, you can check out the full lineup of Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Royal goods and their prices here:

• P3R Hand Towel (2 available) – 2,970 yen (~$19.47)
• P5R Kokeshi doll – 11,220 yen (~$73.55)
• P3R Suitcase – 55,000 yen (~$360.54)
• P3R Character chopsticks (10 available) – 5,500 yen (~$36.05)
• P3R Fatto A Mano glass (4 available) – 28,600 yen (~$187.48)
• P3R Kitchen knife – 33,000 yen (~$216.32)
• P3R Bucket hat – 19,800 yen (~$129.79)
• P3R Water Bottle (2 available) – 3,080 yen (~$20.19)
• P3R PVC bag – 7,150 yen (~$46.87)
• P3R Mug cup – 2,860 yen (~$18.75)
• P3R T-shirt (2 available) – 8,580 yen (~$56.25)
• P5R Mug cup – 2,860 yen (~$18.75)
• P5R T-shirt – 8,580 yen (~$56.25)

And you can take a look at the Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Royal goods here:

Other recent merchandise goods from the series include P5R bags that look like Joker and Akechi’s school uniforms, as well as new SuperGroupies P3R apparel.

The Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Royal Isetan Shinjuku goods will be available between February 19 and March 4, 2025. Persona 3 Reload is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC. Persona 5 Royal is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch, and PC.

The post New P3R and P5R Merchandise Is SEES Suitcase, Joker Kokeshi Doll appeared first on Siliconera.

The Persona 5 collaboration cafe opened today and it will offer Leblanc curry and coffee, as well as other foods and beverages inspired by the Phantom Thieves. Additionally, exclusive collaboration goods will be sold at the cafe.

The collaboration cafe will appear at Sweets Paradise’s Animax Cafe + in Shibuya, Tokyo and will be available until February 26, 2025. The cafe has a separate seating fee of 300 yen (~$2.) It was previously announced that the cafe would feature a crossover between Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5: The Phantom X that includes merchandise goods of the main character in both video games. Customers ordering one of the menu items will also receive one of the 12 bonus original coasters featuring Joker, Morgana, Wonder, and Lufel.

Here are the menu items available at the cafe:

• Big Bang Burger's Comet Burger – 1,980 yen (~$12.69)
• Homemade Tonkatsu set meal – 1,650 yen (~$10.58)
• Leblanc special curry – 1,650 yen (~$10.58)
• Morgana pancakes – 1,500 yen (~$9.61)
• Lufel parfait – 1,300 yen (~$8.33)
• Phantom Thieves Calling Card sweets plate – 1,500 yen (~$9.61)
• Leblanc blend cafe – 800 yen (~$5.13)
• Soccer Club Energy Strengthening Drink – 800 yen (~$5.13)
• Joker's Cola float – 800 yen (~$5.13)
• Wonder’s X drink – 800 yen (~$5.13)
• Milk Coffee – 700 yen (~$4.49)
• Milk Cocoa – 700 yen (~$4.49)

Furthermore, you can take a look at the list of merchandise goods and their prices below. Customers that purchase goods for a total value of over 5,000 yen (~$32.05) will receive a collaboration sticker featuring Morgana and Lufel.

• Acrylic coaster stand (10 available) – 900 yen (~$5.77) / 9,900 yen per box (~$63.45)
• Smartphone stand keychain (10 available) – 550 yen (~$3.53) / 5,500 yen per box (~$35.25)
• Acrylic stand keychain (6 available) – 880 yen each (~$5.64) / 5,280 yen per box (~$33.84)
• Pin badge (6 available) – 550 yen (~$3.53)
• Sticker set – 1,100 yen (~$7.05)
• A4 clear file folder set – 880 yen (~$5.64)
• Acrylic stand figure (10 available) – 1,500 yen (~$9.61)
• Character pen with charm (6 available) – 1,200 yen (~$7.69)
• Full color towel (5 available) – 2,420 yen (~$15.51)
• Black sweater (2 available) – 6,600 yen (~$42.30)
• Stainless tumbler (2 available) – 3,200 yen (~$20.51)

The Persona 5 Royal x Persona 5: The Phantom X collaboration cafe is now open and will close its doors on February 26, 2025.

The post Leblanc Curry and Coffee Now Being Sold at Persona 5 Cafe appeared first on Siliconera.

Good Smile Company revealed new Persona 5 Royal merchandise goods including bags that look like Joker and Akechi’s school uniforms. Pre-orders for the items will open on January 20, 2025 from the Good Smile Company online store.

The Akechi and Joker cosbags (or cosplay bags) cost 4,180 yen (or about $26.51) each. Additionally, the other goods announced include a Morgana-shaped pouch that costs 2,200 yen (~$13.95) and a set of soft and fluffy hairpins for 1,760 yen (~$11.16.) The hairpins are available in 2 different versions, one designed after Joker and the other one after Morgana.

You can check out the items in more detail here:

Joker and Akechi have been featured wearing their regular clothes and school uniforms in a variety of merchandise, including the recently announced P5R Nendoroid of Goro Akechi in his uniform. A similar P5R Nendoroid of Joker in his school uniform previously released in October 2024.

Good Smile Company will open pre-orders for the new Persona 5 Royal Joker and Akechi school uniform bags, Joker and Morgana soft hairpins, and the Morgana pouch on January 20, 2025. Persona 5 Royal is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch, and PC.

The post New Persona 5 Bags Look Like Joker and Akechi’s Uniforms appeared first on Siliconera.

Megahouse announced a re-release of the Persona 5 Royal Lucrea figure of Joker. The figure costs 24,200 yen (or approximately $153.19) and will release in Japan on late June 2025. [Thanks, Hobby Watch!]

Additionally, pre-orders for the figure will open on January 10, 2025 at 1pm JST. This version of the Joker figure will include a special acrylic stand inspired by the “Showtime” move that was introduced in P5R. Additionally, the new acrylic pedestal allows Joker to be posed alongside the Lucrea figure of Crow (Loki version.)

The static figure features Joker in a dynamic pose holding a knife backwards on his right hand. Extra parts are included with the figure, such as a hand part that allows Joker to hold a gun, and his Phantom Thief mask.

You can check out the P5R Joker Lucrea figure here:

The original figure was revealed on January 2022 with a release date set for August of the same year. Other P5R Lucrea figures have appeared, such as a figure of Makoto Niijima and Futaba Sakura in their Phantom Thieves outfits.

The Persona 5 Royal Lucrea figure of Joker costs 24,200 yen (~$153.19.) Pre-orders open on January 10, 2025 in Japan, and its expected release date is late June 2025. Persona 5 Royal is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch, and PC.

The post Persona 5 Royal Lucrea Joker Figure Returns With New Pedestal appeared first on Siliconera.

Good Smile Company opened up pre-orders for a Nendoroid of Akechi Goro (School Uniform version) from Persona 5 Royal. Good Smile Company first announced this Nendoroid in November 2024.

You will have until February 19, 2025 to put in your pre-orders. If you order from the Japanese Good Smile Company site, it’ll cost 6200 JPY, and ship out some time in July 2025. Meanwhile, the North American site offers the Nendoroid for $36.99. It’ll ship out some time in Q4 2025. As a reminder, Good Smile Company will only ship to the United States and Canada.

The Persona 5 Royal Akechi Goro Nendoroid (School Uniform version) will come with two face plates, as opposed to the usual three. He has a smiling face and a default cheery expression. Optional parts include his attache case and extra hands. As opposed to his Crow (Prince version) Nendoroid, he doesn’t have a lot of options. However, since Nendoroid parts are interchangeable, you can technically swap around some of the parts if you have the other version of him.

Here are some more pictures of the figure:

The Persona 5 Royal Akechi Goro Nendoroid (School Uniform version) is available for pre-order via Good Smile Company until February 19, 2025.

The post Persona 5 Akechi Goro Nendoroid Wears His Uniform appeared first on Siliconera.

Atlus has released banger after banger the last couple of years, and 2024, in particular, was an incredible year for the studio. New, definitive versions of existing games, remakes of older titles, and even some brand new experimentation with new series. As we look forward to 2025, though, it is now time for Atlus to release Persona 6.

To start, let’s take a look back at the studio behind Persona 5 and its Royal version, P-Studio. This is the studio designated to make your favorite Persona games. While many of the creators from the original mainline game went on to make Metaphor: ReFantazio, P-Studio still exists as the future of this particular series.

P-Studio’s last work, at the time of writing, was Persona 3 Reload in February 2024 and the last new game before that was Persona 5 Tactica in November 2023. The problem with these two games is the former is a remake of an existing title, while the latter was a smaller spin-off. P-Studio has always shown it is able to make these types of games in between the larger titles without affecting them too much.

Before those two games, it was Persona 5 Royal as the main game P-Studio worked on, which came out in 2019 in Japan and 2020 worldwide. The development team there has been working on pretty much spin-offs, remakes, and re-releases since the original release of P5 in 2016. That certainly sounds like plenty of time to work on a more significant new title amidst all of these.

Even if, for instance, P-Studio didn’t start working on Persona 6 until after Royal, that would be going on six years in 2025 of full-time development. While we have waited much longer than that in the past between mainline releases, the previous title laid the groundwork visually for what Persona 6 can offer. The same can even be said for Metaphor and SMTV in some ways.

As such, six years to come out with Persona 6 seems like a pretty reasonable timeframe. If nothing else, it seems likely to expect an announcement of the game with a formal release date sometime in the next year. The question then remains whether or not we also see it release in the same year of 2025. This is possible, but most likely in the latter half of the year.

The benefit of this, though, would be the ability for the new release to learn from past releases. For instance, it could release simultaneously worldwide for multiple platforms. I want to see Persona 6 come out for Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC at the same time. In addition, I want it to take some of the ideas from past games like Metaphor.

For instance, I love how the Bonds system works in that 2024 JRPG. They are much shorter, sweeter, and to the point. They have eight stages to each relationship, rather than the usual 10. Better yet, there is no weird unnecessary mechanic like reversing relationships or needing to waste time to hang out with someone just to reach the next level on the next hangout.

This is exactly how the social links or Confidants in the mainline entry should work. Let go of the fluff and let players just focus on the relationship with the various characters. Beyond social links, I also hope to see a male and female protagonist. It is high time for this feature. Sure, it does take a lot of work, but it is worth it. If this means both protagonists are able to romance every option, so be it. Otherwise, specific dialogues and events will be necessary for both sides.

Then there is the combat side of Persona 6. I adore how Metaphor allows players to enjoy both action and turn-based combat. You can mash away and defeat some enemies without ever transitioning to a combat screen. This is such a great hybrid system and we need an expansion of that. Allow players to fully take on all normal, non-boss enemies this way. There should be a dodge, block, and Persona skills you can use.

Finally, there needs some serious work on the pacing and story. What really annoys me about the recent Atlus games is how awkward the storytelling can be at times. For instance, Persona 5’s best story arcs are the very first one and the very last one in Royal. It is a similar situation for Metaphor, too. The beginning of that story up through the Martira Arc is the most compelling part.

It is time for the stories to be engaging from start to finish. And it is certainly time for the new definitive versions like Royal to go away for good. I am all for DLC like Episode Aigis that expands the existing game. But it is downright disrespectful to expect players to play through a 100-hour JRPG a possibly second time with a new version just to see the new content.

2025 feels like the right year for Persona 6. It will have been nine years since the original release of Persona 5 in 2025. Atlus has the chance to shock the world with one of the best JRPGs of all time next year. Let’s just hope that it is announced and released sometime in 2025.

Persona 5 Royal is available right now for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

The post The Time Is Right for Persona 6 in 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.

Starting on January 1, 2025, Avail will start selling grab bags including apparel and merchandise featuring Koromaru from Persona 3 Reload and Morgana from Persona 5 Royal. The grab bags cost 3,300 yen (or about $20.99) each, and these will only be available at Avail and Shimamura retail stores throughout Japan.

The Koromaru and Morgana Avail apparel and men’s items are only available in M, L, and 3XL sizes. Each grab bag is limited to one per customer, and they include sweaters, short sleeved T-shirts, hand towels, headbands, socks, and totebags. The characters are depicted in a chibi style. Only their heads appear in the items, with the exception of the hand towels. Those will feature promotional art of the two characters.

You can check out the various Koromaru and Mona Avail items available as part of the Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Royal grab bags here:

Avail previously released the Persona 5 Royal Morgana headband as part of a larger collection of clothing and apparel which appeared on January 20, 2024 in Japan, and later returned with new items on August 2024.

The Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Royal Koromaru and Mona Avail grab bags cost 3,300 yen (~$20.99) and they will be available at physical Avail and Shimamura retail stores in Japan on January 1, 2025. Persona 3 Reload is on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC. Persona 5 Royal is available on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. The anime is on Crunchyroll and soon Hulu.

The post Persona 3 Koromaru and Persona 5 Morgana Merchandise Is at Avail appeared first on Siliconera.