Where Does Persona 5 Strikers Fit In The Persona Timeline?
Persona 5 Strikers promises 45 hours of action-packed gameplay, but fans want to know how it fits within the larger Persona universe, and if any knowledge of the franchise is necessary to enjoy the new installment. In 2020, Persona 5 Royal added to the Persona 5 experience with additional content, including an entire new semester of story. But does Strikers involve the events of Royal?
Even though Persona 5 Royal corrected some of Persona 5's original content, that doesn't mean that it factors into Strikers' timeline. The story of Strikers takes place about six months after Persona 5 and does not mention the events of the extra semester in Royal. Inverse's review of the Strikers demo suggests that the events of Strikers might even push Royal out of the canon. Regardless, fans don't necessarily need to play either version of Persona 5 to understand the events in Strikers, according to its director.
Do players need to know about Persona 5?
New players don't have to play through the entire Persona series just to enjoy the latest game. Strikers director Daisuke Kanada described Strikers as a "follow-up story" in a message to Western fans of the series. Though he recommended players enjoy Persona 5 before embarking into Strikers, he noted that "people will still be able to enjoy the game even just by having a grasp on the characters and their relationships through the anime or manga." Kanada's comments emphasize just how massive the Persona franchise has become, with some fans only engaging in the anime or manga versions of the story.
Whether fans latched onto the game or the manga, Strikers takes place just six months after Persona 5. Of course, things have changed in the months between the two games. After being away at school, Joker comes home during summer vacation, prompting the old crew to get together and plan out activities for their holiday. Hijinks ensue and an entirely new adventure confronts the Phantom Thieves.
Joker and the Phantom Thieves return on Feb. 23, 2021. This new Persona title will release on PS4, Steam, and, for the first time, Nintendo Switch.