Is the FES expansion coming to Persona 3 Reload?

Persona 3 Reload was billed by developer Atlus as a “complete experience”. Datamined leaks and an enigmatic line of in-game dialogue hinted at the FES expansion’s arrival as DLC. So, is the FES expansion coming to Persona 3 Reload?

Persona 3 Reload, the remake of the much-loved and remarkably intricate JRPG from Atlus, has, impressed and enchanted fans of the series. Now the developers revealed there’s even more to look forward to, especially for longtime fans of the series.

Prior to Persona 3 Reload’s release, Atlus said they wanted to “genuinely work on recreating” Persona 3’s player experience, and they meant it.

Despite initially telling fans not to expect a Persona 4 Golden or Persona 5 Royal treatment for P3R, it turns out P3R will get its full story retold after all.

The latest news shared by the developers is good news for those hoping to see the FES expansion and “The Answer” included with the remake.

Is the FES expansion coming to Persona 3 Reload?

Atlus has officially confirmed the Answer is on its way to Persona 3 Reload. Check out the Xbox partner preview below for a glimpse of what to expect in the final chapter of Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis – The Answer.

What is FES? And what is The Answer?

For those not in the know, “The Answer” is a reference to the expansion, Persona 3 FES. FES added an estimated 30 hours of new gameplay in the form of an epilogue chapter, set after the original game’s ending.

Its storyline centered around Aigis, one of the SEES members in Persona 3. It also involved a departure from the game’s Social Link mechanics and a focus on combat and dungeon exploration.

While not everyone was a fan of the story twist FES brought to Persona 3’s narrative, there is still a large chunk of story and gameplay missing from Persona 3 Reload. This is why there are those among the fanbase who’d like to see it arrive as a DLC someday.

Why were players expecting The Answer in Persona 3 Reload?

Eagle-eyed fans were already expecting FES to drop for P3R thanks to Datamined leaks and a cryptic clue available to those diehards who completed the game on its hardest difficulty.

On February 3, a Dataminer shared evidence of six new pieces of potential DLC for P3R. While the majority of these files were costume sets, there was one that caught the eye of fans of the series. A file titled “Episode Aigis/The Answer” appears among the six, seemingly hinting at the FES expansion for Persona 3.

Of course, just because these files were hidden in P3R’s code, didn’t mean Atlus has any plans to release them. Still, it did suggest a potential DLC release covering the FES expansion.

Another hint was an in-game line in an item the player receives from Elizabeth after completing the game on its hardest setting, Merciless.

“At the end of a great trial, the answer illuminates my path,” reads the message inside the Blue Envelope players receive as a reward for beating Merciless mode.

While cryptic and cool, it was also no guarantee it was a clue about future DLC content. It could just as likely be a fun Easter egg the devs included for hardcore Persona players.

Now Atlus has officially announced Persona 3 Reload, Episode Aigis – The Answer is arriving in September 2024, fans can stop speculating and start looking forward to it.