Soul Hackers 2 Release Date, Trailer, And Gameplay - What We Know So Far

Atlus has officially revived its "Demon Summoner" series, or should we say "Soul Hackers" series, with the announcement of "Soul Hackers 2," its latest "Shin Megami Tensei" spinoff. The developer revealed its choice to bring back one of its neglected "Shin Megami Tensei" related series with an announcement trailer over social media.

Unlike the desolate, apocalyptic wastelands of "Shin Megami Tensei" proper and the high school settings of "Persona," "Soul Hackers" games traditionally take place in futuristic versions of our world before the apocalypse. Game Informer had an exclusive first look at the game with details on the plot and its characters, which confirmed the same for this sequel.  

Aion, what Game Informer describes as a "sentient being of data," watches over the world as a kind of god or protector. Aion creates two humanoid beings from fragments of itself, which it names Ringo and Figue. Their mission is to save the world, specifically by protecting two people essential to saving it. Players take on the role of Ringo, while Figue aids the team behind the scenes. Ringo collaborates with the Demon Summoners in the newest installment of "Soul Hackers."

If you loved "Shin Megami Tensei 5," or even the more high-school hijinks heavy "Persona 5," this game's one to look out for. Here's what we know so far about the latest "Shin Megami Tensei" spinoff.

Atlus surprised its fanbase with the announcement of "Soul Hackers 2" in late February 2022. Fans didn't see it coming, but that didn't stop them from going wild about a lesser-known title receiving a sequel. Thankfully, we won't even need to wait a full year for it. 

"Soul Hackers 2" releases this summer on August 26, 2022 for PC (via Steam), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The "Soul Hackers" sequel arrives in Japan one day earlier than the rest of the world. It's not enough of a significant difference that international players should worry, though. Notably, no Nintendo Switch version was mentioned. At the very least, players don't need to worry about paying up for a next-gen console right away, nor do they need to worry about it being exclusive to a specific platform. 

"Soul Hackers 2" comes about 10 years after the last "Soul Hackers" port, which came out for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012. The original actually came out in Japan even earlier, in 1997, with a later port for the PlayStation.  

So far, there's one trailer about "Soul Hackers 2." It's the announcement trailer Atlas dropped to the delight of fans. The trailer offers snippets of gameplay and story without much explanation.

It begins with Ringo, a woman floating in cyberspace with bright pink eyes and an electric green bob. Figue, who acts as her sister, appears alongside her in the intro before the trailer jumps to an introduction of the Demon Summoners. Those who have played "Shin Megami Tensei" games and their spinoffs know who this group is: They essentially function as demon-taming professionals who summon demons and train to fight alongside them. Combat incorporates these monsters as if each person is a "demon summoner," like a Pokémon trainer.

Settings shift between a flashing city, a lush scenery, and then an electrical world. Fan-favorite demons from "Shin Megami Tensei 5" like Pixie and the iconic Jack Frost also appear, hinting that they will be just a few of the monsters featured in this sequel. 

"In a war between devil summoners, it's up to Ringo and her team to decrypt destiny and save the world from apocalypse!" reads the video description. We'll have to see how she accomplished this when the game releases in 2022.

Players control Ringo as they explore the "Soul Hackers 2" world, which resembles cyberpunk aesthetics with skyscrapers and neon lights. Exploration seems similar to "Shin Megami Tensei 5," where players maneuver the main character from a third-person perspective through different environments and interact with monsters and items. 

"Soul Hackers 2" also heavily draws inspiration from its heritage with turn-based gameplay. As seen in the trailer, each character gets a turn to attack the opponent. Their attacks also stack based on the type matchup against the monster, multiplying damage with deadly results. Players also get the opportunity to buy items and summon demons, though it's unclear the exact situation considering that the display text for the American trailer was still taken from the Japanese demo. 

According to Game Informer, Ringo also has a special ability called "Soul Hack" that revives those killed in action with memories of their past regrets. It's unclear how much it'll matter as a gameplay element, though it does have major significance in the game's plot.