According to Eurogamer.net, Persona and Metaphor: ReFantazio creator Katsura Hashino wants to create “JRPG 3.0” as the next evolutionary step for the genre. Speaking at Korean gaming conference G-Star 2025 earlier this month, Hashino defined JRPG 1.0 as the “true classics” like original Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games, while JRPG 2.0 represents current higher-quality titles that are more responsive to players. For JRPG 3.0, Hashino believes games will change the genre’s structure and presentation at a fundamental level with greater dimensions. This raises immediate questions about what this means for Persona 6, which has been officially mentioned by Atlus in a 2021 job listing interview and more recently in an October fan survey. Meanwhile, French studio Sandfall’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has shown there’s massive appetite for turn-based innovation, with creator Guillaume Broche calling the response “overwhelming” and saying they “awakened a sleeping dragon.”
What exactly is JRPG 3.0?
Hashino’s being pretty vague about what JRPG 3.0 actually means, which is both exciting and frustrating. He talks about “greater dimension” and fundamental changes to structure and presentation, but that could mean anything from procedural generation to AI-driven narratives to completely rethinking turn-based combat. Here’s the thing: Metaphor: ReFantazio, which he called a “culmination of our RPGs,” still feels firmly in the JRPG 2.0 camp. It perfected existing formulas rather than breaking new ground. So if that’s the culmination, what does revolution actually look like?
The Persona 6 problem
Atlus director Naoto Hiroaka said back in 2021 they’d “have to create a 6 which exceeds 5” but admitted it would be “difficult with the current staff.” That’s a pretty honest assessment, and it’s been four years since then. Persona 5 was such a massive success that it spawned multiple spin-offs and defined an entire aesthetic generation of JRPGs. How do you follow that? More importantly, how do you follow that while also supposedly creating JRPG 3.0? The pressure must be insane.
That French revolution
What’s really interesting is that while Hashino talks about JRPG evolution, a French studio might have already shown the way forward. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took classic turn-based mechanics and added action prompts, creating something that feels both familiar and fresh. Broche’s comment about awakening a “sleeping dragon” of turn-based fans is telling – there’s clearly massive demand for innovation in this space. Maybe JRPG 3.0 doesn’t need to come from Japan at all.
Time to break the mold?
Personally, I’m hoping Persona 6 takes some real risks. The series has been leaning hard on established conventions – the Velvet Room, social links, predictable character archetypes. Don’t get me wrong, that formula works, but after three mainline games (four if you count the upcoming Persona 4 remake) with similar structures, it’s starting to feel predictable. If Hashino really wants JRPG 3.0, Persona 6 would be the perfect place to start. But will Atlus take that risk with their flagship franchise? Or will they play it safe with incremental improvements?
The turn-based renaissance
Despite all the uncertainty, one thing’s clear: turn-based RPGs are having a moment. Between Metaphor’s success, Expedition 33’s explosive reception, and the anticipation around Persona 6, there’s more excitement around the genre than there’s been in years. Hashino’s JRPG 3.0 vision might be vague, but the fact that major creators are thinking about fundamental evolution rather than just prettier graphics is encouraging. The real question is whether Atlus will lead that change or follow it.
