Katsura Hashino, the creative force behind Persona 5 and the recently released Metaphor: ReFantazio, just dropped some bold predictions about the future of Japanese role-playing games. Speaking at the G-Star 2025 gaming conference in South Korea, Hashino outlined his vision for what he calls JRPG 3.0, a new generation of games that will change the genre’s structure and presentation at a fundamental level. For a developer who helped define modern JRPGs with Persona 3, 4, and 5, these comments carry serious weight.
The Three Eras of JRPGs
Hashino broke down the genre’s history into three distinct periods during his talk titled When Experience Becomes Memory. JRPG 1.0 represents the classics like early Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games that established the foundation. JRPG 2.0 covers modern titles characterized by higher quality and responsiveness to player feedback. These games feature more accessible design, deeper gameplay mechanics, and polish that older adventures couldn’t achieve due to technical limitations.
The current era saw JRPGs evolve from niche offerings into mainstream successes. Games like Persona 5, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and yes, Metaphor: ReFantazio demonstrate how responsive modern JRPGs have become to player preferences. Quality of life features, flexible difficulty options, and systems that respect player time have become standard rather than luxury additions. But Hashino believes the genre is about to take another leap forward.
What Is JRPG 3.0
Here’s where things get interesting and frustratingly vague. Hashino says JRPG 3.0 will bring greater dimension to games and fundamentally change their structure and presentation. He didn’t provide concrete examples of what that actually means in practice, leaving fans and industry observers to speculate about his vision.
The lack of specifics isn’t surprising given that Hashino is describing something that doesn’t fully exist yet. He’s talking about where the genre should go, not where it currently is. Based on his previous work, we can make some educated guesses. Persona 3 introduced social simulation elements that became genre-defining. Persona 5 elevated presentation to an art form with its stylish menus and animations. Metaphor: ReFantazio used fantasy settings to explore anxiety and social issues in ways contemporary settings couldn’t.
Perhaps JRPG 3.0 means breaking free from established formulas entirely. Maybe it involves new ways to integrate narrative and gameplay that go beyond dialogue choices and branching paths. Hashino might be envisioning JRPGs that adapt to individual players in ways current games only scratch the surface of. Or it could mean something completely different that we can’t predict because it hasn’t been done yet.
Why Hashino’s Opinion Matters
This isn’t just random speculation from a developer. Hashino has proven ability to identify what JRPGs need and deliver on that vision. When Persona 3 launched in 2006, combining high school life simulation with dungeon crawling seemed risky. It became one of the most influential JRPG designs of the past two decades. Nearly every Atlus RPG since has borrowed elements from that formula.
Metaphor: ReFantazio demonstrates Hashino’s willingness to experiment while maintaining what works. The game shares DNA with Persona through its calendar system and social links, but the high fantasy setting and anxiety mechanics show he’s not content to repeat the same formula forever. If anyone in the industry has earned the right to predict JRPG evolution, it’s the person who helped shape what modern JRPGs look like.
The Broader JRPG Renaissance
Hashino’s comments come during what many consider a golden age for the genre. JRPGs aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving commercially and critically. Metaphor: ReFantazio sold over a million copies in its first day. Final Fantasy XVI and VII Rebirth attracted massive audiences. Smaller titles like Octopath Traveler and Sea of Stars proved there’s appetite for both traditional and innovative approaches.
Even turn-based combat, long declared dead by mainstream gaming discourse, keeps proving doubters wrong. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 generated buzz specifically because it’s making turn-based battles look fresh and exciting. Players keep showing up for these games despite predictions that action combat would completely replace traditional JRPG systems. The genre has momentum, which makes this a perfect time to push boundaries.
What Comes Next for Atlus
Hashino confirmed he’s already started work on his next project, though he provided zero details about what it is. Given his comments about JRPG 3.0, whatever Studio Zero develops next will likely attempt to embody this new generation he’s describing. Whether that’s Persona 6, a Metaphor sequel, or something entirely new remains to be seen.
The timing suggests we won’t see this mystery project for several years. Metaphor just launched in October 2024. Studio Zero is a separate team from P-Studio, which handles mainline Persona games, so whatever comes next won’t interfere with Persona 6 development. This gives Hashino time to experiment and potentially take bigger risks than a numbered Persona sequel would allow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does JRPG 3.0 actually mean?
Hashino hasn’t provided specific details, describing it as a future generation of JRPGs that will fundamentally change the genre’s structure and presentation. The lack of concrete examples suggests even he’s still figuring out exactly what form it will take.
Is Persona 6 going to be JRPG 3.0?
Possibly, though Hashino works with Studio Zero while P-Studio handles mainline Persona games. His next project might embody JRPG 3.0 concepts, but whether that’s Persona 6 or something else entirely remains unknown.
Did Metaphor: ReFantazio fail to meet Hashino’s JRPG 3.0 vision?
No indication of that. Metaphor represents evolution within the JRPG 2.0 framework rather than the revolutionary shift Hashino describes for 3.0. It’s an excellent modern JRPG, just not the genre-redefining leap he’s talking about.
Why are JRPGs so popular right now?
Multiple factors contribute including nostalgia for classic gameplay, creative storytelling that stands apart from Western AAA trends, and developers refining formulas to address past weaknesses while preserving what fans love about the genre.
Will JRPG 3.0 abandon turn-based combat?
Hashino didn’t specify, though his track record suggests he values innovation within systems rather than wholesale abandonment. Persona and Metaphor both use turn-based combat with modern twists rather than replacing it entirely.
When will we see the first JRPG 3.0 game?
Unknown. Hashino has started his next project but given typical development timelines for major RPGs, we’re probably looking at 2027 or later before we see what he’s building.
Are other developers thinking about JRPG 3.0?
Hashino is the first major figure to explicitly frame it this way, but many developers are experimenting with genre conventions. Whether they’re consciously pursuing the same vision or independently arriving at similar conclusions remains to be seen.
Conclusion
Katsura Hashino’s comments about JRPG 3.0 are simultaneously exciting and frustratingly vague. He clearly believes the genre is on the cusp of meaningful evolution that goes beyond incremental improvements. Coming from the director who helped define what modern JRPGs look and play like, that prediction deserves attention. Whether his vision involves new technology, revolutionary game design, or something we can’t predict yet, the fact that he’s thinking about fundamental genre shifts rather than safe iterations is promising. JRPGs are in a strong position right now with commercial success and critical acclaim. That’s exactly when bold experimentation makes sense. If Hashino and Studio Zero can deliver on this JRPG 3.0 concept with their next project, it could reshape expectations the same way Persona 3 did nearly two decades ago. For now, all we can do is wait and see what form this next evolution takes.