Summary
Persona 6is the next game in the longstanding franchise, and likely one of the most anticipated upcoming releases due to the widespread success ofPersona 5and its enhanced version,Persona 5 Royal. The only thing fans have to rely on right now, however, is time, as it is the only certainty thatPersona 6’s releaseis drawing nearer.
At this point, news aboutPersona 6is unofficial and consists only of rumors. One wave of rumors, in particular, was recently shared on X by user P0wyful, who disclosed some potential details aboutPersona 6’s post-launch content. Unfortunately, based on what was shared,Persona 6may go down the same road asPersona 3 Reload, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Depending on their content, video game DLCs tend to have a rough go of it. This is largely due to a common perception that DLC should already be included in the base game. However, this isn’t always necessary, as some DLCs are substantial enough to merit their own price tag.Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLCis a great example of this, as it offers a considerable amount of content and could be considered an entirely separate game.Persona 3 Reload’s Expansion Pass is one of those cases that has proven to be divisive due to its price tag not befitting its content — at least, from a certain perspective.
Currently,Persona 3 Reload’sExpansion Pass has a “Mostly Negative” ratingon Steam, with around 2,000 reviews contributing to that rating. It’s not uncommon for DLC to get such a negative response like this, but it’s not necessarily always merited. InPersona 3 Reload’s case, it comes down to what the Expansion Pass includes and whether it matches the $35 price attached to it.
The first wave of content fromPersona 3 Reload’s Expansion Pass was a selection of music tracks fromPersona 5 RoyalandPersona 4 Goldenfor players to listen to while exploring dungeons inPersona 3 Reload. The second wave of content included a Velvet Room-themed costume and additional background music forPersona 3 Reload’s dungeons. The final wave of content was the most substantial portion of the Expansion Pass, including a remake ofPersona 3’s additional campaign, The Answer.
It could be argued that this is the primary reason for purchasingPersona 3 Reload’s Expansion Pass in the first place, making the rest of the DLC content feel a bit arbitrary.
WherePersona 6may end up falling short is if it chooses to double down onPersona 3 Reload’s Expansion Passmodel. Rumors have circulated about the possibility ofPersona 6having its own Expansion Pass (or Expansion Passes) with approximately three years of DLC support planned for the game. If these rumors are true, it’s unclear whetherPersona 6’s Expansion Pass model will emulatePersona 3 Reload’s, but it nonetheless might be better off avoiding that route altogether, considering the negative receptionPersona 3 Reload’s Expansion Pass has garnered.
IfPersona 6has its own Expansion Passor multiple Expansion Passes, it should ensure each one provides players with a substantial amount of content, and more than mere background music and cosmetics. Instead, additional story content is a must in this case, lest the franchise continues to make a bad name for itself by selling players trivial content that arguably should be included in the base game. All of this said, this is a point of view that is currently based solely on rumors, so it may be moot when all is said and done. However, there is rarely anything wrong with maintaining bridled expectations.
