Persona’s 25th-anniversary celebration is in full swing, and it seems to be ramping up over time. WhileAtlusput together some fairly modest plans at first,Persona 4 Arena Ultimax’s rerelease on new platforms suggests that Atlus may only be building steam, preparing for an explosive finale in autumn. The anniversary celebration is particularly worth watching because Atlus will supposedly release a major new game sometime in 2022, which could mean a creative newPersonagame will join the celebration. However, a new teaser for a mysterious new project related toDevil Summoner: Soul Hackersmay throw that expectation up in the air.
A new website and Twitter account full of cryptic messages suggest that Atlus plans on releasinga project related toDevil Summoner: Soul Hackerssoon. While it’s unclear if the newSoul Hackerstitle is meant to be Atlus' pillar game for 2022, it’s a big deal either way, sinceDevil Summonerhas laid dormant for about a decade. Whether it’s Altus' big game for this year or not, though, the newSoul Hackersproject deserves an international launch. Atlus RPGs have surged in success in recent years, which means Atlus should act confidently when supporting the return ofDevil Summoner: Soul Hackers.
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Atlus' Recent Success
It’s no secret that thePersonafranchise has seen a massive uptick in success recently. TheShin Megami Tenseisister series has been a success for some time, but after the release ofPersona 5,the franchise has soared in visibility, reaching new fans all across the globe.Persona 5was only the first in a series ofPersona-related victories that Atlus has scored.The PC version ofPersona 4 Goldensold so well that Atlus says it’s eager to bring more of its games to PC. So far, it’s making good on that promise withPersona 4 Arena Ultimax.With so many more eyes on thePersonafranchise, Atlus has good reason to try marketing itsSoul Hackersproject toPersonafans.
Of course,Personadoesn’t deserve all the credit for Atlus' recent success.Shin Megami Tenseihas really been putting its weight too. In 2021, Atlus released bothShin Megami Tensei 3: HD RemasterandShin Megami Tensei 5, both of which have sold well around the world and gotten positive responses from critics.Shin Megami Tensei’s recent international successsuggests that Atlus hype isn’t limited toPersona,but rather, new fans are interested in seeing more of Atlus' work in general. That’s very good news forSoul Hackers.
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Expanding the Atlus Brand
Whether it’s a remake of the original game or a sequel, bringingDevil Summoner: Soul Hackersback is definitely a surprising move from Atlus.Soul Hackershas a following, but it’s still a fairly niche subsection of Atlus' RPG catalog. At the same time, though, now might be a good time to double down onSoul Hackersin particular, rather thanDevil Summonerin general.Soul Hackers' futuristic setting is very distinct frommost other current Atlus games, and fighting off a demon incursion inside a digital world remains a unique concept overall.Soul Hackerscould add a valuable sci-fi RPG option to Atlus' modern game library.
Considering the state of Atlus' popularity andSoul Hackers' potential contributions,Atlus should double downon supporting the game by releasing it internationally.Soul Hackersdeserves a chance to impress fans everywhere, rather than catering to Atlus' Japanese audience alone. Historically, Atlus is a cautious company, so it’s hard to say if Atlus feels confident enough to release theSoul Hackersproject internationally. Nevertheless, Atlus couldn’t ask for a better moment to publicize its many franchises. With interest inPersonaandShin Megami Tenseiso high, there’s plenty of hope that a newDevil Summoner: Soul Hackersgame could succeed abroad.
