Atlus has revealed that the female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable will be joining Persona 5: The Phantom X as a playable phantom idol. This character will be known by her canonical name, Kotone Shiomi, and will feature in an upcoming crossover event.
The development team was unable to complete the character illustrations prior to this announcement (the teaser only displayed silhouettes of Kotone and her golden Orpheus Persona), but the narrative framework and overall tone of the collaboration have been locked in. Work on other development aspects, such as 3D models, has only recently commenced, indicating that the collab may not be ready for some time.
With Kotone absent from 2024’s Persona 3 Reload, her most recent appearance in a Persona game was in 2019’s Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, which served as a crossover RPG featuring characters from Persona 3, 4, and 5. Beyond the Persona series, Kotone has made guest appearances in titles like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the mobile puzzle game Puzzle & Dragons.
It’s been confirmed that Atlus’s P-Studio has no plans to include Kotone in Persona 3 Reload. However, her inclusion in Persona 5: The Phantom X should offer fans some satisfaction upon release (since Makoto Yuki, the male protagonist of Persona 3, is already part of the mobile game). As an alternative, players can utilize a fan-made Persona 3 Reload mod that integrates her into the remake.
Persona 5: The Phantom X is currently available on mobile platforms (Android and iOS) and Windows. Further details regarding the Persona 3 Portable collaboration will be shared in due course.