One Of Persona 5's Best Characters Won't Be In The Phantom X

gamerant.com:

A fan-favorite Persona 5 character seems to be absent from the upcoming Persona 5: The Phantom X, and players are curious about their apparent disappearance. Earlier this month, Atlus and Chinese game publisher Perfect World Games revealed more details about Persona 5: The Phantom X — or Persona: Phantom of the Night as it is also called. Though this mobile-based spin-off is currently only set to launch in China, fans all around the world are eagerly awaiting new information about it.

Persona 5: The Phantom X was initially announced in April 2021 under the working title of Code X. Just like the original Persona 5, The Phantom X is set in Tokyo, with players taking on the role of a new high school student balancing their everyday life with battling monsters in dungeon-like Palaces within the parallel world Mementos. While The Phantom X looks to follow a fresh cast of characters (including an owl-like mascot named Luffy), classic Persona 5 characters like Joker can be spotted in the most recent Persona 5: The Phantom X trailer.

Persona 5 Fans are Getting Unexpected Way to Show Their Love for the Series

However, not everyone is coming back for Persona 5: The Phantom X, and Reddit user speedychirp recently noticed the absence of one of the original game’s most prominent side characters. As discovered by a player who found their way into the game's ongoing closed beta, the gruff-but-good-hearted Sojiro Sakura has seemingly been replaced by an unnamed character as the head of Café LeBlanc. Some users have lamented the disappearance of the beloved PlayStation father, while others are taking Soijro’s absence as proof that Persona 5: The Phantom X takes place in an alternate universe as some fan theories suggest.

Persona 5 players