Persona producer Kazuhisa Wada says Persona 1 and 2 deserve the remake treatment

Persona 1 and Persona 2 have spent years in the shadow of the series’ newer entries, but producer Kazuhisa Wada believes the early games should eventually receive remakes. He did not confirm that Atlus has started such projects, describing them instead as something he personally believes the team needs to do.

In an interview with GamerBraves, Wada said, “At this point, I can’t say for sure [if Persona 1 and 2 remakes will happen],” before adding, “personally, I think it’s something we should definitely do. I think we have to do it.”

That is a personal opinion rather than a production announcement. No release window, platforms, or confirmation of active development were provided for either remake.

Interest in revisiting the older entries predates Wada’s comments. During the ATLUS Survey 2022 Results Special, Japanese fans were asked which Persona game they wanted to see remade. Persona 3 and the Persona 2 duology received the highest number of votes.

Interest in the older entries also grew after official merchandise tied to Persona 1 and Persona 2 went on sale in April. The timing and selection drew attention, but the listings did not confirm that Atlus is preparing remakes.

The first game, released in the West as Revelations: Persona, launched on the original PlayStation in 1996 and later came to PSP in 2009 with an updated interface, faster battles, balance changes, and a new soundtrack. Persona 2 is a duology: Persona 2: Innocent Sin arrived on PS1 in 1999, followed by Persona 2: Eternal Punishment in 2000. Both later received PSP ports in 2011 and 2012, respectively, but neither early entry has received a full modern remake.

Persona 4 Revival remains Atlus’ current focus

For now, Wada and the Persona team are focused on Persona 4 Revival, which is scheduled to launch on February 18, 2027. The project will rebuild 2012’s Persona 4 Golden, itself an expanded version of 2008’s Persona 4. During the same conversation, Wada described Persona 4 as “personally, a very important work for me,” adding that it speaks to many people connected to the series.

Atlus’ recent Persona projects have largely centered on the later games. Persona 3 has received a Portable release, a remake, and the Episode Aigis DLC, while Persona 3 Reload reached 1 million sales in six days and became Atlus’ fastest-selling game. Persona 4 Revival is now in development, and Atlus announced Persona 6 during the June Xbox Games Showcase as a standalone story built around daily life, new characters, and supernatural adventure. The game will be available on Game Pass on its first day. Sega has described Persona 6 as only the beginning of its wider 30th anniversary plans. Persona 1 and 2 remain the clear gap in that remake push.

The older games would also bring back a different version of Persona. Persona 3 helped establish the social-simulation and high-school-drama format most players associate with the series today, whereas Persona 1 and 2 sit closer to the Shin Megami Tensei roots from which Persona grew. Persona 1 uses first-person dungeon crawling, and neither early game includes Social Links, a feature introduced with Persona 3.

Those differences could make remaking the early entries a more delicate task than updating a later game. Adding Social Links or another relationship system would change their progression, while moving Persona 1 from first-person dungeon movement to full 3D exploration would alter how it feels to play. Wada’s comments at least show that the idea has support from someone with a major role in the franchise, even though fans still have no confirmation that either project will happen.

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