homeEntertainment

'Persona 5' release date, news and updates: release pushed back to April 2017

Inset is a promotional image for "Persona 5." | Facebook/atlus.jp

The developers of "Persona 5" needed more time to work on their double-language and English audio features to make sure that western players can fully enjoy the game. That's why game developer Atlus yet again decided to delay the game, setting to April 4, 2017 the United States and Europe release instead of the initial Feb. 7, 2017 release date.

"Persona 5" was already released in Japan in 2015, and since then, fans of the video game from the other side of the world had been waiting for its worldwide release. The first initial release date was set on Sept. 2016, but was later moved to Feb. 2017, until it is moved again to April 2017.

"I know, I know. It stings," an Atlus representative says. "But Persona 5 set the gold standard for Atlus with its launch in Japan, and we wanted to put the utmost care into ensuring it winds up the best when it launches in the west."

Fans can meanwhile satisfy themselves with the game's trailers, which featured a new world that features more points of view from different characters. An additional in-game interaction was also added such as new character conversations in different locations, transportation modes and more.

Upon release, "Persona 5" already sold over 437,929 units in Japan. Its release coincided with the launching of the PlayStation 4 (PS4) Slim, which is said to have contributed to a strong starting sales point.

In the meantime, Atlus is still polishing the game's dual-language system to make sure western players can appreciate the narrative of the game even more, especially that "Persona 5" is a heavily dialogued game. Upon its worldwide release, the game can be playable in either Japanese and English language.

"Persona 5" will be available on PS3, PS4, and will even be available in PS4 Pro and virtual reality (VR) devices.