Recently, Koei Tecmo’s development team at Gust initiated an unusual player survey concerning Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories, the newest installment in the enduring alchemy JRPG franchise. In anticipation of the game’s early 2027 launch, the creators sought feedback on whether players would welcome the protagonist Karia’s ability to adopt a slightly “plumper” appearance after indulging in food, considering that eating is a central gameplay element.
The interim outcomes of this poll have now been revealed, and it appears that the chubbier Karia concept is here to remain. From 34,392 global player responses, 78.6% endorsed the suggested feature, whereas only 9.9% opposed it (the remaining 11.6% were undecided). This outcome aligns with the initial social media buzz following Gust’s announcement of the survey, as most Atelier enthusiasts were vocal in their support, urging the developers to “do it” and “make her bigger.”
Notably, a majority of participants (62.2%) favored an option to lock Karia’s preferred body shape. Conversely, 32.1% preferred the design to fluctuate based solely on Karia’s eating habits.
The survey also explored Karia’s ideal fashion style, presenting eight alternative costume designs for player selection. The leading choices thus far are the Dark Girly, Gothic Lolita, and Visual kei styles, though the vote counts remain closely contested.
While the exact application of the survey results is unclear, Gust has confirmed that player preferences will influence both the game’s development and related promotional efforts.
The survey will continue to accept responses until August 23. If you haven’t yet shared your opinion, you can do so here.
Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories is slated for an Early 2027 release on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.