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Persona 5 is coming to the Americas on Valentine's Day 2017

Persona 5 is coming to the Americas on Valentine's Day 2017

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A date! We have a date!

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Atlus

If you're a JRPG fan living Stateside, you have reason to celebrate this morning: Persona 5 has a North American release date. The next entry in Atlus' series of cult favorite role-playing games — you spend your days trying to survive high school and your nights saving the world with your friends — is being released in the Americas on February 14th, 2017 on both PS3 and PS4. It's the first main entry in the series since Persona 4, which was originally released for the PS2 in 2008 and 2009 before being rereleased for the PS Vita in 2012 and 2013.

That means there's a five month gap between the game's Japanese release date (September 15th, 2016) and its availability around the world. Why the delay? "The biggest factor in the 2017 release date is attention to detail," wrote Atlus PR manager John Hardin on the PlayStation blog. "We're making sure every bit is in place. Persona has exponentially grown as a franchise, and considering this is our first numbered sequel since 2008, Atlus is taking its time to ensure this is the best possible experience."

Fans have spent a long time waiting already

Fans have already spent a long time waiting for Persona 5, a game that's been sitting on the horizon for almost three years. The game was initially revealed in November 2013, and a North American release was originally announced (without a specified date) in February 2014. Atlus announced that the game would be delayed into 2016 last September, and its Japanese release date wasn't revealed until last month. And while they may need a few months to polish the game for North American audiences, this final delay has the added bonus of pushing Persona 5 into a less competitive time period for JRPGs. With releases like Final Fantasy XV and the new Pokemon games penciled in, this fall is going to be one of the most crowded seasons in recent memory. Here's the Persona 5 PS4 box art:

persona 5 box art