Metaphor: ReFantazio, the bizarre RPG that Atlus showed off during the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 event, has been confirmed to be coming to PlayStation and Steam via an official leak. When Metaphor: ReFantazio was first announced, many fans of Atlus’ unique role-playing game worried that the game would be exclusive to the Xbox platform. Now confirmed to be untrue, Metaphor: ReFantazio is coming to both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 when it launches in 2024.
Metaphor: ReFantazio was officially announced last Sunday during the Xbox Games Showcase 2023. It was shown off through an exciting trailer featuring a variety of gameplay and in-engine cutscenes. The trailer ends with the official branding, confirming that Metaphor: ReFantazio is scheduled to release on Xbox Series X/S and PC via the Windows Storefront. There have been no further platform announcements since, leading some to worry that Atlus games will be exclusive to the Xbox platform.
Atlus fans can now put those worries aside. A leaked trailer from Sega Korea reveals all the planned platforms for Metaphor: ReFantazio. The trailer ends with branding, confirming that Metaphor: ReFantazio will be available not only on Xbox Series X/S, but also on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Also, it won’t be locked to the Windows Store on PC, but is also available via Steam. If anything, Atlus’ Xbox support is lacking, as the game wasn’t developed for Xbox One.
The reason for the confusion is simply the modern practice of video game announcements and advertising. Xbox appears to have struck a deal with Atlus for the release and initial advertising of Metaphor: ReFantazio. It’s meant to allow fans to associate the game with the Xbox, even if the game is coming to other platforms as well. The confusion over exclusivity may have been intentional, though this will never be publicly confirmed.
What makes ads like the one Xbox did with Metaphor: ReFantazio so confusing is that, in some cases, games are actually exclusive to certain platforms. This rarely happens with third-party releases on Xbox, but PlayStation has often signed exclusivity deals for games that were delayed or never came to Xbox. Atlus is an important example. Persona 5 is just one game that’s been exclusive to the PlayStation platform for years. Atlus fans are understandably wary.
Direct confirmation of supported platforms for Metaphor: ReFantazio may be coming soon. Even though Xbox has not yet acquired the exclusive rights to Metaphor: ReFantazio, securing the RPG’s arrival on Xbox Series X/S is still a big step forward. The Xbox has a reputation for being skipped over by major Japanese role-playing game releases. Maybe it’s a sign that Xbox is working hard to end that reputation.
Metaphor: ReFantazio will be released on PC, PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2024.