Persona Producer Teases Possibility of Remakes for Persona 1 and 2

Kazuhisa Wada, the general producer of the Persona series, recently sparked excitement among fans with his comments on potential remakes of Persona 1 and Persona 2. In a recent interview, Wada expressed a desire to tackle these remakes, but his remarks were brief and left fans wondering if these projects are more than just hopeful speculation.

The Persona series has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years. Following the tremendous success of Persona 5 in 2017 and its various spin-offs, Persona 3 Reload launched in February 2024, achieving impressive sales of 1 million units in its first week and becoming Atlus's fastest-selling game ever. This success has fueled speculation about whether Atlus plans to remake other titles in the franchise. While Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden are available on modern platforms, the original Persona 1 and Persona 2 have remained largely inaccessible.

In his interview with GameSpot, Wada was asked about the possibility of remaking Persona 1 and Persona 2. He acknowledged that these projects are not currently on his agenda but expressed a strong interest in pursuing them in the future. A remake of these classic games would undoubtedly excite long-time fans, as they have not been updated for modern consoles like their more recent counterparts.

Challenges in Remaking Persona Classics

Wada also highlighted the challenges associated with remaking games that are over two decades old. He noted that creating a production structure, drafting the project, and securing approval would be significant hurdles. Released in 1996 and 1999 respectively, Persona 1 and Persona 2 featured gameplay and mechanics that differ greatly from the modern Persona titles, including the absence of the calendar and social links that have become staples in the series.

While Wada's interest in remaking Persona 1 and Persona 2 is clear, the task would be more demanding compared to updating more recent games. Previously, there were rumors of a potential Persona 4 Golden remake, which also hinted at a remaster for Persona 2. A remaster might be a more feasible way to bring these older games to current platforms.

Ultimately, the future of the Persona series remains uncertain. Fans are eagerly awaiting news about Persona 6, which is expected to be the next major installment. Despite many veteran developers from P-Studio moving to Studio Zero to work on Metaphor: ReFantazio, Wada remains optimistic about the future, believing that a new generation of developers will benefit the series.