Persona: Phantom of the Night is an incoming free-to-play mobile game

Steal Your Heart (And Wallet)

Just in case you liked Persona 5 a little too much, publisher Perfect World Games has announced the coming of a brand new release within the slick ‘n’ stylish RPG franchise, situated within the much-loved “free-to-play mobile title with in-game purchases” genre — Presented for your consideration: Persona 5: The Phantom X aka Persona: Phantom of the Night.

Developed by Black Wings Game Studio, Persona 5: The Phantom X will see an entirely new gang of Phantom Thieves stealing hearts and purchasing microtransactions against the backdrop of a depressed Tokyo populace. The new title will feature all of the typical action players have come to know from the series — from attending school classes and enjoying local activities to battling demons and exploring alternate universes. Both Sega and Atlus’ dedicated P-Studio will supervise production.

Two new trailers showcase The Phantom X‘s very nice visuals, and also reintroduce us to The Velvet Room, complete with what appears to be a whole new assistant. I’m certainly not denying that it looks like a legitimate and authentic spin-off of the Persona series’ biggest-selling release, (and that new owl companion is super cool) but by its core F2P w/ in-game purchases concept, it’s difficult not to view the title immediately with a raised eyebrow and an impending sense of expensive dread. Am I being presumptuous? Perhaps, but then, we’ve all had more than enough experience with these titles.

Here’s hoping our new Phantom Thieves will buck the trend.

Persona 5: The Phantom X / Persona: Phantom of the Night is in development for iOS and Android platforms. There is no release date, but players in China can already sign up for an “Infiltration Test” over on the official website.

Chris Moyse

Senior Editor – Chris has been playing video games since the 1980s and writing about them since the 1880s. Graduated from Galaxy High with honors. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse