Atlus has confirmed that it's delisting the original version of Shin Megami Tensei 5 and its DLC on Nintendo Switch next month as the upcoming definitive version, Vengeance, is released, in what's a pretty unusual move for the company.
Shin Megami Tensei 5 is a Switch-exclusive JRPG which graced Nintendo's current-gen console back in 2021, but the definitive version, Vengeance, is set to bring the game elsewhere. As well as being re-released on Switch, it's set to land on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One, complete with improvements to the battle system, new areas, demons and more. It promises to be the ultimate way to experience the JRPG, and it's hard to imagine that brand new players who missed out on the original would want to turn down Vengeance's extra offerings, but even so, the decision to remove it from the eShop is a bit odd.
Nintendo Switch『真・女神転生Ⅴ』（2021年11月11日発売）ダウンロード版及び配信コンテンツ販売終了のお知らせ▼https://t.co/Kzum4CwkkAMay 13, 2024
After all, this isn't a move that Atlus previously made with the beloved JRPG Persona 5 once its expanded and improved version, Persona 5 Royal, was launched. It's still possible to buy and download the vanilla version of the game from the PlayStation Store in addition to Royal, so collectors can still own them both digitally very easily, even if newer fans should probably just jump straight into Royal for its story expansion. With that in mind, it's a bit bizarre that the same treatment won't apply to Shin Megami Tensei 5, even if it seems unlikely that, as with Persona 5, the original will be the preferred version for those who get stuck into Vengeance.
If you've already played Shin Megami Tensei 5 but you're not planning on buying Vengeance though, fear not. Although you won't be able to buy the game or its DLC anymore, any previously purchased content will still be available for you to redownload later down the line if you deleted it to clear space on your Nintendo Switch. As such, those who've already bought it won't be losing anything.
As for anyone who doesn't already own the JRPG but wants to make sure they have all of the versions in their possession, it's set to be taken down from the eShop at 12am JST on June 14 (which is 8am PT / 11am ET / 3pm GMT on June 13). In Japan, that's right as Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance is released across all platforms, coming a week earlier than was originally announced. It now thankfully dodges sharing a launch with Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, to boot. Will we be able to tear through the entire JRPG in just one week before FromSoftware's expansion launches? Perhaps not, but you can count on fans doing their very best regardless.
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