Summary
Persona 5 Tacticaadds to Atlus' list ofPersona 5spin-off titles, following the Phantom Thieves on another journey of rebellion.Tacticalooks to take its belovedPersona 5characters to a world beyond their own, crossing paths with a mysterious revolutionary leader as she tries to enact change in a realm fraught with injustice. Serving as a spin-off that takes place outsidePersona 5’s Tokyo, some fans may have been wondering whereTactica’s placement on the timeline lies. With the story details informed from its trailers so far, there are a few hints.
It’s uncertain whetherPersona 5 Tactica’s story will be considered “canon”, though the precedent set by otherPersonaspin-offs would suggest so. It’s likely thatTacticacould be an instance where its characters forget the events of what has happened after returning home, given its heightened focus on a Metaverse-like realm. ThoughPersona 5 Strikerswas a bit more cemented in the reality ofPersona 5’s Japan, offering up a similar approach to the base game with “jails” acting as palaces,Tacticainstead seems to be taking the alternate world angle for the entirety of its game, save for its inciting cutscene.
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Persona 5 Tactica Appears to Take Place Toward the Conclusion of Persona 5, Before Strikers
Whether or not the events of the game are remembered by the Phantom Thieves in the long run, there are still a few narrative decisions that hint towards the title’s place on thePersona 5timeline. First, the opening synopsis as relayed by Morgana inTactica’s first news volume implies that the story takes place somewhere between February and March. Not only is the weather described as snowy outside, but the mention of graduation for the third-years approaching demonstrates that these events take place beforePersona 5 Strikers' summer road trip.
With the absence ofKasumi Yoshizawa, it appears thatTacticais situated toward the conclusion of the original game rather thanPersona 5 Royalbefore Joker leaves to return home. However, the rumors surroundingTactica’s DLC put a bit of a wrench into the timeline; with both Akechi and Yoshizawa speculated to appear in add-on story content, it’s unclear whetherTacticawill followRoyal’s story or stick to the original game. In addition, Akechi’s involvement would suggest that he’s still alive following the events of Shido’s palace, rounding out another aspect of the original andRoyalthat was left ambiguous.
Lavenza is seen as Joker’s Velvet Room attendant inTactica,further cementing that its events take place afterPersona 5’s conclusive battles. Though there have been rumors surrounding potential appearances fromPersona 5 Strikers' Zenkichiand Sophia, the fact thatTactica’s story takes place before the Phantom Thieves meet them would imply that they won’t be returning for a cameo. Given that the laws of the new Metaverse world thatTacticaexplores haven’t been established yet, however, nothing can be completely written off.
WithPersona 5 Tacticataking place between the events ofPersona 5(potentiallyRoyal) andPersona 5 Strikers, it seems interesting that Atlus is moving slightly backward in the timeline. This is a smart move to ensure that the group can realistically be together, given Joker moving home and Makoto’s graduation, though its existence begs the question of whether a spin-off featuringthe Phantom Thievesin their adulthood will ever come to light. For the time being, fans have much to look forward to withTactica’s release later this year.
Persona 5 Tacticais set to release on June 05, 2025, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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