Metaphor: ReFantazio, the bizarre RPG revealed by Atlus during the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 event, is confirmed to be coming to PlayStation and Steam via an official leak. WhenMetaphor: ReFantaziowas first announced, many fans ofAtlus' unique RPG offerings were worried that the game would be exclusive to Xbox platforms. That’s now been confirmed to be untrue, withMetaphor: ReFantaziocoming to both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 when it launches in 2024.
Metaphor: ReFantaziowas officially announcedthis past Sunday during the Xbox Games Showcase 2023. It was revealed via an exciting trailer featuring a diverse selection of gameplay and in-engine cutscenes. The trailer ended with official branding confirming thatMetaphor: ReFantaziowas planned for release on Xbox Series X/S and PC via the Windows storefront. No further platform announcements were made afterward, leading some to worry the Atlus game would be exclusive to Xbox platforms.
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Atlus fans can set aside those worries, now. A leaked trailer from Sega’s Korean wing has revealed all the planned platforms forMetaphor: ReFantazio. The trailer ends with branding confirming not only thatMetaphor: ReFantaziowill be available on Xbox Series X/S, but also PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Further, it isn’t locked to the Windows store on PC, but will also be available through Steam. If anything, Atlus' Xbox support is lacking, because the game isn’t being developed for Xbox One.
The reason for the confusion is simply modern practices for video game announcements and advertising. Xbox appears to have a deal with Atlus for the announcement and initial advertising ofMetaphor: ReFantazio. It’s intended to make fans associate the game with Xbox, even though the game is coming to other platforms, too. Confusion over exclusivity may be intended, though that’s never something that would be confirmed publicly.
What makes advertising like what Xbox is doing withMetaphor: ReFantazioso confusing is that, in some cases, games actually are exclusive to certain platforms. This rarely happens with third-party releases on Xbox, but PlayStation frequently signs exclusivity deals for games that either have a delayed release or never come to Xbox. Atlus is a major example of this.Persona 5is just one game that was exclusive to PlayStation platformsfor many years. It’s understandable that Atlus fans are wary.
Direct confirmation ofMetaphor: ReFantazio’s supported platforms will likely be coming soon. And even if Xbox hasn’t secured exclusivity forMetaphor: ReFantazio, ensuring that theRPG is coming to Xbox Series X/Sis still a good step forward. Xbox has established a reputation for being skipped by major Japanese RPG releases. Perhaps this is a sign Xbox is working to end that reputation.
Metaphor: ReFantazioreleases in 2024 on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
