Persona 3 Reload is almost certainly getting the classic 'The Answer' expansion at this point

Aigis from Persona 3 Reload readies her weapon. — (Image credit: Atlus)

Earlier this month a dataminer found evidence of six forthcoming DLC packages for Persona 3 Reload, seemingly confirming that the Answer expansion—a meaty campaign released alongside Persona 3 FES—is definitely coming to the 2024 remake. But now there's some even more compelling evidence, and this time it can be gleaned by simply playing the game.

Alas, you have to play Reload on its hardest difficulty, Merciless, which for most will seem sadistic given it's a 70+ hour turn-based JRPG. YouTuber Faz has used a cheat engine to fast-forward to the final moments of Persona 3 Reload when played on Merciless. When the game is completed on this difficulty, Elizabeth delivers the protagonist a message reading: "At the end of a great trial, the answer [emphasis mine] illuminates my path."

Atlus hasn't announced any DLC plans for Persona 3 Reload, but it has confirmed it won't be releasing a "definitive" version of the remake, as it tends to do with most of its games (think Persona 4: Golden, Persona 5: Royal). This was meant to encourage customers not to hold out for better versions of the game, which put a dampener on the possibility of the Answer ever getting the remake treatment.

But it's almost certainly getting it now. The expansion was the big selling point of Persona 3 FES, which was a reissue of the original PS2 game. It's divisive, but you also can't really call Persona 3 Reload definitive without it. Taking the form of an epilogue for the main game, it follows robo-soldier Aigis in the weeks following Persona 3's climax. It takes around 30 hours to complete too, so it's hardly a negligible absence.

The aforementioned dataminer also found an array of more boring DLC packs, as per below. The only missing piece then, is the playable female protagonist featured in Persona 3 Portable.

Persona 3 Reload released earlier this month to unanimous praise, with one of the big criticisms being the lack of Portable's female protag. Our reviewer described it as "a highly-polished remake of the 2006 classic," while noting that "a few elements don't age well."

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.