Metaphor: ReFantazio, the highly anticipated RPG from the team behind Persona 5, now has a release date. The game will officially launch on October 11th, putting it squarely in the holiday season.
The release date was revealed during a special 25-minute showcase hosted by director Katsura Hashino, offering a glimpse of the gameplay, music, and other elements that Persona fans can expect from Hashino’s latest project.
Metaphor bears some resemblance to Persona 5, but it branches out into a unique fantasy adventure with a more high-concept approach. While it retains key elements such as turn-based combat and time progression from the Persona series, it reimagines them in new ways. For instance, instead of a school year that progresses day by day, Metaphor is structured as a fantasy road trip.
Despite the difficulty in describing Metaphor, the trailer provides a comprehensive overview of what to expect. The game promises the same memorable art and music that made the Persona games so renowned.
Hashino began working on Metaphor in 2017 after leaving P-Studio to establish Studio Zero with the intention of developing a new IP. He was joined by composer Shoji Meguro and artist Shigenori Soejima, among others, all of whom played key roles in shaping the Persona series.
Metaphor made its debut at the Xbox Game Showcase in 2023, and Atlus has been steadily revealing more details in the intervening months. Metaphor: ReFantazio will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC when it releases later this year.
Xbox will host an ID @ Xbox showcase next week, which will be presented exclusively on IGN.
[Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly listed Metaphor as an Xbox exclusive. IGN regrets the error.]
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
