Persona fans are holding their breath and waiting for Atlus to say something about Persona 6. It only seems natural that Atlus somehow acknowledges the next installment in the franchise this year, since 2021 is Persona's big 25th anniversary. Not everyone is sure that Persona 6 is destined to release in 2021, since Atlus is still pretty newly finished with some big projects, including Persona 5 Royal, Persona 5 Strikers, and the Persona 4 Golden remake for PC. Even if the game isn't ready, though, now seems like the perfect time to talk about it. Atlus promised big news for Persona's 25th birthday, and it's hard to imagine bigger possible news than a new installment in the franchise.

However, many veterans of the series are optimistic that a new game won't be the only way Atlus celebrates 2021. Many are hopeful that this will be the year that they get a remake or remaster of Persona 3. Considering how much work Atlus has been putting into the Persona series lately, it seems likelier by the day that it has plans to revisit Persona 3. 2021 would be a fantastic time for Atlus to come forward with content related to both Persona 3 and Persona 6. Atlus can get the most out of this year's anniversary by celebrating Persona's past as well as its future.

RELATED: Why Fans Might Want to Skip Straight to Persona 3

Celebrating Persona 3

persona 3

Persona 3 is an extremely important entry in the franchise. Before this game, Persona was a lot more like its parent games, the Shin Megami Tensei series. The first Persona games heavily featured supernatural entities infiltrating the human world, forcing Persona-using high schoolers to use newfound powers to fight back. In Persona 3, a clearer line was drawn between the world of Personas and humanity's world. It set the tradition of the gameplay largely being divided into two parts: expeditions into the supernatural world involving combat with Shadows, and social simulation elements where the protagonist would do everyday activities to bond with friends and strengthen their Personas.

There's lots of reasons that Atlus should make Persona 3 available again, aside from it being a good way to celebrate Persona's growth as a part of the anniversary. Persona is more popular than ever, thanks to the international success of Persona 5 bringing many new fans into the franchise. Persona 3 is nearly fifteen years old, so many new fans probably never got the chance to play it in its heyday. These new fans would be glad to give it a try. Additionally, Persona veterans who played Persona 3 back in the day might not be able to play it anymore if their PS2s and PS Portables have given up the ghost. Atlus would do well to capitalize on that nostalgia.

The biggest thing that's giving fans hope for Persona 3's return is Persona 4 Golden's remake. Nobody expected Atlus to suddenly put a Persona game on Steam after making these games for the PlayStation for years, nor did it give any prior indication that it was working on Persona 4 Golden again. Atlus keeps so quiet on projects like these that it's more than believable that it could be planning a Persona 3 resurgence in secret. 2021 would be a particularly good year give Persona 3 a fresh coat of paint.

RELATED: How to Make Persona 6 Radically Different From Past Entries

Empowering Persona 6

Persona 6 25th Anniversary

If Atlus is in fact working on Persona 3, then it can't neglect Persona 6. Although it would seem risky to release these two games at about the same time, they could actually play off of one another quite well. Announcing a Persona 3 remake might give Persona 6 more momentum, possibly reclaiming the attention of any former Persona fans who haven't touched the series in a while. It'd also be a valuable experience for new Persona fans who want to experience previous games before moving on to new entries. If the Persona 3 remake were to come out several months before Persona 6, it'd give fans plenty of time to relive the previous game before investing in the new title, preventing Atlus' game sales from competing with each other.

Persona 6 is a total mystery -- fans aren't even totally sure that Atlus is working on it already. While it seems likely, nothing is certain for now. However, many fans are wondering if Persona 6 will be very different from previous entries. Persona 5's changes to the Social Link system and its surprising spinoff Persona 5 Strikers have made fans wonder if Atlus is experimenting with new mechanics and major changes to the franchise ahead of a new game. Everything Atlus has done with Persona 5 could be leading up to the new game.

It cannot be stressed enough how big a deal a 2021 release for Persona 6 would be. A bold, ambitious entry in the franchise would be the perfect way to celebrate 25 years of success. Persona 5 ended up being Atlus' way of marking Persona's 25th anniversary. It wouldn't be surprising if Atlus was already planning Persona 6 when Persona 5 released, then turned around and put some resources toward Persona 5 after its surge of success. In that case, it's had five years to work on Persona 6, meaning there's got to be something to show this year that'll help mark the occasion.

The Big Double Feature

Persona 6 New Direction

There's a crucial pair of Atlus projects that might give Persona fans some hope of seeing both Persona 3 and Persona 6 news this year. Last year, Atlus surprised fans by announcing both a remake of Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne and giving a major update on the brand new Shin Megami Tensei 5. In other words, Atlus is managing to juggle a major remake of Persona's parent franchise as well as a brand new entry. If Atlus can manage doing both at once for Shin Megami Tensei -- and sees the worth in doing so -- then it can surely see the worth of working on Persona 3 and 6 at the same time.

Atlus promised fans that there would be big Persona news in 2021. A few months have passed, and it has yet to follow up on these promises. It could be that Atlus is waiting until July to address a hypothetical Persona 3 remake, since mid-July is exactly when Persona 3 will celebrate its 15th birthday. It could be that Atlus will use that same announcement to discuss Persona 6 and the future of Persona in general. Persona fans may be getting impatient for news, but the potential of summer announcements is definitely there. At least Persona fans have P5 Strikers to enjoy for now, as the plausible kickoff of a really major year for this storied franchise.

Persona 6 is rumored to be in development.

MORE: Now That P5 Strikers is Out, Will Persona 6 Be Next?