Though the Shin Megami Tensei series is often considered the company’s bread and butter, Atlus has an original fantasy RPG in the works under Studio Zero, the newfound dev team headed up by Persona 5 Director Katsura Hashino.
Hashino-san will also serve as the project’s Producer and Director, according to Famitsu, with further details expected to be shared at the Niconico livestream on Friday, December 23. Word of the announcement comes hand-in-hand with the first artwork, as illustrated by Persona 5 Character Designer Shigenori Soejima, which places a flame-haired character (protagonist?) front and center.
Here’s the official statement from Hashino-san, courtesy of the Studio Zero website:
25 years ago, the Atlus RPG uttered its first cry. Speaking of RPGs in those days, the stories in so-called “fantasy” worlds were mainstream. The Shin Megami Tensei series was released as an “opposition” to such a “common” world view, and the Persona series was released as its spin-off. Both series, even today in their latest entries, have always been made with the concept that it will be a counter to the times. And now, in addition to continuing the titles within those series, what will our approach to a new RPG be? That is, to challenge the norms of the genre gamers have been consuming for decades. The challenge is about to begin. We would be happy if you would stand by for the moment we began from zero and the moment we began our challenge from zero.
Further details will be shared on the Niconico livestream, which begins on December 23 at 20:00 JST (8am EST). In the meantime, have a gander at the teasing first artwork, below.
