Atlus USA Discusses Persona 5's Western Release, Special Editions, and Localization

Western Release and Special Editions

John Hardin, PR Manager for Atlus USA and Sega of America, addressed several questions from fans regarding the Western release of Persona 5. In comments on the PlayStation Blog, Hardin explained the absence of the Japanese 20th Anniversary Edition in North America. He stated that while there was significant excitement for the Japanese collector’s edition, the Western version was planned with its own unique physical items. He commented that Atlus USA “really wanted to separate it with some physical goods that we thought were pretty awesome,” believing both regions had strong offerings.

Regarding the 5-disc soundtrack included in the Japanese premium edition, Hardin noted that, as far as he knew, it would remain exclusive to that version. He also spoke about the availability of the School Uniform DLC pack. At the time, it was not planned for inclusion in any of the launch editions. However, Hardin said it was “HIGHLY probably” that the content would be available at launch, though whether it would be a free or paid download was still to be determined.

Release Date and Technical Details

The North American release date of February 14, 2017, placed Persona 5 in close proximity to Sony’s Horizon Zero Dawn. Hardin acknowledged this was “kinda unfortunate,” explaining that because the two games had different publishers, the scheduling conflict was not known in advance. He expressed hope that players would appreciate the vastly different styles of the two games and enjoy both.

Hardin also fielded technical questions about the game. When asked about potential region locking, he said he assumed it would not be region-locked but did not have a definitive answer. He added that if he heard the term mentioned internally, he would “make a stink about it.” On the topic of cross-save support between the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 versions, he did not have confirmation but promised to make inquiries. An official comparison between the PS4 and PS3 versions was not planned for E3 but was expected before the game’s release.

Localization and Future Possibilities

In response to concerns about censorship, Hardin pointed to Atlus’s history of localizing games without cutting content. He affirmed the game would be localized as the team saw fit. He drew a distinction between Persona 5, published by Atlus, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, which was not, as a point of comparison for localization approaches. He referenced the edits made to Dungeon Travelers 2 to avoid an AO rating, noting that the company worked with the original artist to preserve the scenes’ intent.

Hardin also touched on the possibility of bringing PS2-era Persona and Shin Megami Tensei titles to the PS4 with trophy support. He confirmed that a “cursory talk” had occurred on the subject but had not progressed, as the development team’s primary focus was on completing Persona 5. When a fan mentioned spoilers from the Japanese version, Hardin hoped the game’s journey would transcend plot points and provide an experience that spoilers could not ruin.