Atlus producer Kazushi Wada reiterates the unlikelihood of Persona 3 Portable's female protagonist (FeMC), Kotone Shiomi/Minako Arisato, appearing in Persona 3 Reload. This decision, explained in a recent PC Gamer interview, stems from significant development costs and time constraints.
While initially considered, adding the FeMC, even as post-launch DLC, proved too challenging, Wada stated. The resources required would have been far beyond what was feasible, especially given the concurrent development of Episode Aigis - The Answer.
This news will disappoint fans who hoped for the FeMC's inclusion in the Persona 3 Reload remake, released in February. Despite the character's popularity, Wada's comments firmly close the door on this possibility, emphasizing the insurmountable development hurdles. He previously echoed this sentiment in a Famitsu interview, highlighting the substantial increase in development time and cost compared to the Aigis DLC.
The significant challenges and expense associated with adding the FeMC, as compared to the already released Episode Aigis DLC, ultimately led to its exclusion from Persona 3 Reload. Wada expressed regret to fans who had hoped for her inclusion.
