Persona dev's Metaphor: ReFantazio will launch in Japan and the West on the same day

Metaphor: ReFantazio will see a simultaneous global launch next year in 2024.

Earlier this year, developer Atlus held a special livestream celebrating the recent announcement of Metaphor: ReFantazio, their brand new RPG. As reported by Persona Central, Atlus revealed in this livestream that Metaphor will release in both the East and West at exactly the same time next year.

This is a bigger deal than you might think for an Atlus game. Persona fans are used to waiting upwards of a year for the latest games in the series to make their way Westward with official localizations, although the first game to actually bridge this gap was Shin Megami Tensei 5 back in 2021, with the English language version launching just one day after the native Japanese version.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is continuing this new trend for Atlus. We can imagine long-time Atlus fans are celebrating en masse right now - the days of waiting months and months for an official translation of a new Atlus game might finally be behind us at long last.

Atlus also released a brand new developer interview video earlier today just after the livestream, featuring Persona veterans Katsura Hashino, Shigenori Soejima, and Shoji Meguro. The trio have worked on modern Persona games for years, working to establish the eye-catching style and aesthetic that's become notable around the world.

This simultaneous global launch for Metaphor: ReFantazio is a brilliant new trend. We've already seen it with other Japanese developers like Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, who've now made global simultaneous launches for their games the forefront of their strategy to connect with an international audience. 

Check out our new games 2023 guide for a look at some other RPGs that're set to launch before Atlus's new game.