Studio Zero Launched by Persona 5 Director

Gaming has come a long way in a very short time. Being the youngest widely accepted medium out there, it’s impressive that it’s managed to do so much. There are a myriad of reasons for why this is has happened but one of the key ones is, of course, the developers. There are more game developers now than there have ever been, and their opportunities are numerous than ever. The more studios are created, the more games will be made, and we’ve got a new one around the corner. Katsura Hashino, director of Persona 5, is launching Studio Zero.

Katsura Hashino is a long time veteran of Atlus Co. In addition to Persona 5, he also directed Catherine and Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. Despite this, he is looking to break away from those games with Studio Zero. Hashino wishes to challenge himself and is aiming to create a classical fantasy RPG. Drawing influence on early JRPGs, while creating an old school RPG that has a unmistakably Atlus feel. Details on this new game are very light at the moment, lacking even a name or planned platform. Hashino has stated, however, that he is taking this seriously and wants Studio Zero to deliver on something amazing.

There’s a bit of symbolism around the name of Studio Zero. Specifically, the Zero part of the name Persona heavily draws on the tarot cards and the meaning behind them. The card numbered 0 is The Fool, which stands for the beginning of a new journey. It adds a new light to the name Studio Zero. This is Hashino’s brand new journey, as he will be working full-time on building his new studio. Other Atlus employees will be assisting him, but they will be juggling this with working at Atlus. Persona 5 still hasn’t been released outside of Japan, and the reaction to it will no doubt affect the future of Studio Zero. It’ll be interesting, to say the least.