A new website and Twitter account full of cryptic messages suggest that Atlus plans on releasing a project related to Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers soon. While it’s unclear if the new Soul Hackers title is meant to be Atlus’ pillar game for 2022, it’s a big deal either way, since Devil Summoner has laid dormant for about a decade. Whether it’s Altus’ big game for this year or not, though, the new Soul Hackers project deserves an international launch. Atlus RPGs have surged in success in recent years, which means Atlus should act confidently when supporting the return of Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers.
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Atlus’ Recent Success
It’s no secret that the Persona franchise has seen a massive uptick in success recently. The Shin Megami Tensei sister series has been a success for some time, but after the release of Persona 5, the franchise has soared in visibility, reaching new fans all across the globe. Persona 5 was only the first in a series of Persona-related victories that Atlus has scored. The PC version of Persona 4 Golden sold so well that Atlus says it’s eager to bring more of its games to PC. So far, it’s making good on that promise with Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. With so many more eyes on the Persona franchise, Atlus has good reason to try marketing its Soul Hackers project to Persona fans.
Of course, Persona doesn’t deserve all the credit for Atlus’ recent success. Shin Megami Tensei has really been putting its weight too. In 2021, Atlus released both Shin Megami Tensei 3: HD Remaster and Shin Megami Tensei 5, both of which have sold well around the world and gotten positive responses from critics. Shin Megami Tensei’s recent international success suggests that Atlus hype isn’t limited to Persona, but rather, new fans are interested in seeing more of Atlus’ work in general. That’s very good news for Soul Hackers.
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Expanding the Atlus Brand
Whether it’s a remake of the original game or a sequel, bringing Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers back is definitely a surprising move from Atlus. Soul Hackers has a following, but it’s still a fairly niche subsection of Atlus’ RPG catalog. At the same time, though, now might be a good time to double down on Soul Hackers in particular, rather than Devil Summoner in general. Soul Hackers’ futuristic setting is very distinct from most other current Atlus games, and fighting off a demon incursion inside a digital world remains a unique concept overall. Soul Hackers could add a valuable sci-fi RPG option to Atlus’ modern game library.
Considering the state of Atlus’ popularity and Soul Hackers’ potential contributions, Atlus should double down on supporting the game by releasing it internationally. Soul Hackers deserves a chance to impress fans everywhere, rather than catering to Atlus’ Japanese audience alone. Historically, Atlus is a cautious company, so it’s hard to say if Atlus feels confident enough to release the Soul Hackers project internationally. Nevertheless, Atlus couldn’t ask for a better moment to publicize its many franchises. With interest in Persona and Shin Megami Tensei so high, there’s plenty of hope that a new Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers game could succeed abroad.
A Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers project is in development.
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