Atlus producer Kazushi Wada reiterates the unlikelihood of the Persona 3 Portable 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 challenges and budgetary constraints.
Initially considered for post-launch DLC, alongside Episode Aigis - The Answer, incorporating the FeMC proved too costly and time-consuming for Atlus. Wada emphasizes that the development time and expense would have been far beyond what was feasible, even for DLC.
Released in February, Persona 3 Reload is a full remake of the 2006 classic. While the remake faithfully recreates many core features, the FeMC's absence has disappointed many fans. Despite this disappointment, Wada's statement leaves little room for future inclusion: "The more we discussed it, the more unlikely it became...The development time and costs would not have been manageable." He further clarified in a previous Famitsu interview that adding the FeMC would have required "several times longer" than Episode Aigis, presenting insurmountable hurdles.
While the FeMC's popularity fueled hopes for her inclusion, either at launch or as DLC, Wada's comments effectively rule out this possibility. The significant development challenges and costs associated with adding her character outweigh the potential benefits, making her appearance in Persona 3 Reload highly improbable.
