Persona 4 Revival Producer Wants Persona 1 and 2 Remakes, but Modernizing Them Could Be Atlus’ Toughest Challenge

Persona 4 Revival producer Kazuhisa Wada believes Atlus should eventually remake the earliest Persona games, potentially bringing Persona and the Persona 2 titles back for modern audiences after the studio completes its current projects. However, rebuilding these games would present a significantly different challenge from Persona 3 Reload and Persona 4 Revival because the foundations of the original titles predate many of the systems that now define the Persona franchise.

Speaking with GamerBraves, Wada was asked whether Atlus could continue its remake strategy with the first Persona games after Persona 4 Revival, or whether development would instead move entirely toward newer projects such as Persona 6. Although he stopped short of confirming anything currently in development, his personal position was clear.

"At this point, I can’t say for sure, but personally, I think it’s something we should definitely do. I think we have to do it."
— Quote by: Kazuhisa Wada

A remake of the earlier Persona games would require substantially more design work than simply rebuilding graphics and improving quality of life features. The original Persona and Persona 2 Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment were created before Persona 3 introduced the calendar structure and social gameplay systems that eventually became central to the modern franchise. Their combat and dungeon systems are also considerably different, with the first Persona incorporating positioning and tactical elements that would require careful consideration if Atlus wanted to preserve the original identity while making the game accessible to players familiar with Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5.

Persona 4 Revival demonstrates the approach Atlus is currently taking when revisiting its older catalog. Wada says the remake retains the personalities, themes, and core story of the original while rebuilding Inaba with fully explorable 3D environments, improving cinematic presentation, redesigning dungeons, updating combat, and adjusting some dialogue for modern audiences. The game also incorporates almost all content from Persona 4 Golden while introducing additional social interactions.

Combat is receiving some of the most noticeable modernization, including new Prime Time and Send Flying mechanics alongside returning systems such as Baton Pass. As covered in our previous report on Persona 4 Revival's redesigned combat, Atlus is attempting to preserve the original turn based identity while making previously overlooked mechanics more meaningful and giving players additional tactical options.

Persona 4 Revival is scheduled to launch on February 18, 2027 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, with Atlus positioning the remake as another major bridge between the franchise's past and future. The project follows the successful Persona 3 Reload strategy while Persona 6 represents the next major step for the series.

Persona 1 and Persona 2 arguably need remakes more than any other games in the series, but they are also the hardest titles to modernize without fundamentally changing what they were. Persona 3 Reload could rely on a structure that modern Persona fans already understand, and Persona 4 Revival can build on an even more familiar foundation.

The first games do not have that advantage. Adding modern social systems could make them more accessible, but doing too much risks turning them into entirely different games. Atlus would need to decide whether the objective is preservation or reinterpretation. If Persona 4 Revival succeeds, however, Wada's comments suggest the studio has not forgotten the games that created the franchise in the first place.

Should Atlus remake Persona 1 and Persona 2 with modern social systems and combat, or preserve their original design even if it feels very different from today's Persona games?