Persona 5 release date US: SEGA announces partnership for Europe distribution

Persona 5Atlus

Persona 5 has been slated for release for a long time now. Way back in 2013, a date for its release had been set in winter 2014. But that didn't happen, and at the Tokyo Game Show 2015, Atlus gave Persona fans a ray of hope, announcing that the newest edition of the game would be available sometime in 2016.

The tides are finally turning for the better, as Persona 5 will be releasing in Japan on September 15, 2016. The American release date follows closely on the heels of the Japanese one. If you're a Persona fan living in the US, the new edition of the Atlus role-play game will certainly steal your heart all over again on February 14, 2017.

SEGA has also just announced a new distribution partnership with publisher Deep Silver for the Europe market, although its press announcement neglected to include a release date for the region. 

"We are delighted to have signed this publishing partnership and look forward to using all our pan-European publishing network to maximize the potential of the Atlus and Sega games" said Dr. Klemens Kundratitz, chief executive officer of Koch Media/Deep Silver, said in a press release, according to GamesBeat.

"In entering this partnership with Deep Silver, I am truly delighted we will be able to release our titles in the European regions," said Naoto Hiraoka, chief executive officer of Atlus U.S.A., Inc. and senior vice president of publishing, Sega of America, Inc., in the press release.

"Not only does the deal span multiple titles, but Deep Silver has a strong presence in European and PAL retailers. They have a strong passion for being able to deliver physical games to our fans in those territories, which we hold in high regard."

Persona 5, which is compatible with PS3 and PS4, made it to E3 this year, taking with it a couple of limited edition goodies. Almost as an effort to make up for the delay in its release, Persona 5 will also be available in a special edition aptly titled 'Take Your Heart.' According to the PlayStation blog, this edition is a PS4 exclusive.

The collectible box in which the special edition will be offered is also home to a schoolbag that is embellished with the Shujin Academy crest, and a 4-inch plush toy of Morgana, the cool cat. The special edition also includes an art book that features sketches and art by Shigenori Soejima, and a CD embedded with tracks from Shoji Meguro, the composer of the music in the Persona series. The icing on the cake is a designer steelbook case that will contain the game CD.

Gamespot notes that this collector's edition for PS4 is priced at $89.99, while the PS4 standard edition costs $59.99. The PS3 edition, which comes in an ordinary case, costs $49.99.