With a cocktail of leaks, speculation, and online listings, the gaming community is hoping Atlus’ upcoming JRPG remake will find its way to the Nintendo Switch. And while neither Atlus nor Nintendo has officially confirmed the port, the gaming community’s detective work suggests a potential surprise might be on the horizon.
Atlus has always had a unique sense of flair when it comes to their game announcements. This time around, they seem to be amplifying the mystery surrounding the Switch version of Persona 3 Reload, leaving fans intrigued and excited.
Most notable of all, some believe that Atlus is intentionally fueling the rumor mill to ramp up the hype, a clever tactic in line with their unique marketing approach.
Play Asia has listings for Persona 3 Reload for Nintendo Switch
When asking customer service, they confirm it is not an error. We will likely see this confirmed in a Nintendo Direct of some sort soon. pic.twitter.com/NQSyL3oGNs
— Persona 3 Reload Countdown (@UntilPersona) June 17, 2023
The heart of the speculation traces back to online retailer Play Asia, which included a listing for a Switch version of Persona 3 Reload.
As Twitter user UntilPersona and ComicBook.com reported, the game was listed alongside the confirmed PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series versions. A subsequent Reddit post, now deleted, claimed that Play Asia’s customer service stated the listing was not in error.
Adding to the excitement, the official Atlus YouTube channel had an unlisted “Persona 3 Reload” trailer that mentioned the Nintendo Switch in the description. Although quickly rectified to remove any reference to the Switch, eagle-eyed fans had already captured the evidence, adding more fuel to the speculation fire.
Considering Atlus’ long and storied history with Nintendo, such a surprise wouldn’t be out of character. The announcement of Persona 5 Tactica for the Switch only further suggests that the ties between Atlus and Nintendo are as strong as ever.
Despite the removal of any explicit Switch references, fans remain hopeful that this was not an error but a glimpse into an exciting announcement waiting in the wings. Perhaps during an upcoming Nintendo Direct event, gamers will finally receive the news they’ve been eagerly anticipating.
The word has it that Nintendo has a Direct event scheduled before the month ends.
Regardless of the result, maybe Xbox should take notes from Sony and Nintendo on how to do marketing exclusivity deals. After making fun of Sony for the non-exclusivity of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Xbox now finds itself drawing the ire of fans for basically making them wait for official information that should’ve been available right from the start.
