As the director of Persona 3, 4, and 5 (among others), Katsura Hashino’s track record strongly suggested that his next title would be one to keep an eye on, and now that Metaphor: ReFantazio is out, that has proven accurate. Atlus’ fantasy RPG has not only attracted universal critical acclaim, it’s also enjoying sales to match, with over million units sold on its first day to become Atlus’ fastest-selling game to date. But though Metaphor itself is still barely a few days old, it looks like its director hasn’t taken much of a rest before jumping to his next game.
Speaking in a recent interview with Famitsu, Hashino revealed that he has already started working on his next project at Atlus. When asked about when he will begin working on his next game after Metaphor: ReFantazio, he said, “Oh, I have already started.”
Hashino then went on to add that he doesn’t view projects from an individual perspective, but rather as something that will be the best next step for all of Atlus as a whole, as well as for the players.
“I don’t really think about what to do as an individual,” he said (translation via @Genki_JPN on Twitter). “I look at Atlas as a whole and think about what is best for our team to create right now. Firstly I want the users to be happy, and as a result I hope the company will be happy as well. That is how I always work.”
What Hashino’s next project will be is anyone’s guess, but given his incredible track record, it’s fair to say that people will be keenly awaiting news on whatever it is that he and his team are working on next.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.