The Persona 5 train never stops: Persona 5: The Phantom X, a PC and mobile spin-off of the massively popular Atlus title, is gearing up for release–but only in select Asian countries. The open beta opened last month in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and South Korea, but fans in the West have been woefully left out of the festivities. However, it looks like that could change.
A quarterly earnings presentation posted on Friday shows that IP owner Sega is pleased with player numbers so far, claiming that things have started off “as expected” and that “future expansion in Japan and global is under consideration.”
Persona 5: The Phantom X is a free-to-play gacha game developed by the Chinese game company Perfect World Games. It takes place in modern-day tokyo and, like the original, follows a group of characters with the power to wield Personas, including the original Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
Several staff members from Persona 5 were involved in the mobile game’s development, including the series producer Kazuhisa Wada, artist Shigennori Soejima, and vocalist Lyn.
Not bringing the new game overseas seems like it would be a strange choice given how massively popular Persona 5 has been since its initial release eight years ago. The game sold over 7.2 million copies by April 2023, making it the best-selling entry in the Megami Tensei franchise and inspiring several spin-offs, including Dancing in Starlight, Persona 5 Strikers, and Persona 5 Tactica.
Persona 5: The Phantom X began open beta tests on PC and mobile devices in April 2024, but only in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and South Korea. A full release date hasn’t yet been announced.