Persona Remake Update: Female Protagonist Absence Disappoints Fans

Atlus producer Kazushi Wada explains once again why it is unlikely that the popular female protagonist (FeMC) from Persona 3 Portable ever arrives in Persona 3 Reload. Read on to learn more about his comments.

No FeMC for Persona 3 ReloadAdding Kotone/Minako Would be Too Costly and Time-Consuming

In an interview recently reported by PC Gamer, producer Kazushi Wada revealed that Atlus had initially considered including the Female Protagonist (FeMC) from Persona 3 Portable, otherwise known as Kotone Shiomi/Minako Arisato. While planning the Persona 3 Reload post-launch DLC, Episode Aigis - The Answer, however, it was ultimately decided to exclude the FeMC due to development and budget constraints.

Persona 3 Reload is the full remake of the 2006 JRPG classic, and released back in February this year. The game reintroduces many features and mechanics unique to the installment, but the absence of Kotone/Minako saddened many fans. Despite fan outcry, Wada made it clear that including the character was simply not practical.

"The more we discussed it, the more improbable it became," Wada explained. "The development time and expenses would not have been manageable." Even if the concept of adding her through a DLC was considered, "but since it is not possible for us to release P3R with the Female Protagonist in this timeframe, we simply cannot do it," he reportedly said. "I'm truly apologetic to all of the fans who were holding out hope, but it is likely never going to occur."

Given the popularity of P3P's Female Main Character, many fans expected her to be playable in Persona 3 Reload, either at launch or as post-release content. However, but it looks to be way too unlikely to happen based on Wada’s latest comments. Wada had previously mentioned that including her in the game would have been much more challenging and costly than creating the Episode Aigis DLC.

"For a female protagonist, I am sorry to say that unfortunately, there is no possibility," Wada reportedly explained in an earlier interview with Famitsu. "The development time and cost would be several times longer than Episode Aigis, and the hurdles would be too high."