Countless JRPG fans roll their eyes as 26-year-old cult hit gets its own Diablo Immortal moment

On the heels of what many regard as the best and most approachable games in the 26-year-old Atelier JRPG series, publisher Koei Tecmo has announced the free gacha game that a lot of Atelier fans apparently weren't asking for in a near-perfect recreation of that notorious Diablo Immortal reveal.

The next game in the series is officially Atelier Resleriana, coming to iOS, Android, and PC later this year, starring new character Resna. Despite being handled by another studio, Akatsuki Games, it's being treated as a mainline game, as evidenced by the "Project A25" label at the start of the trailer. This news was delivered earlier today via a 70-minute stream on Koei Tecmo's Japanese YouTube channel, and it's worth noting that the game itself is also limited to Japan for the time being, though a global release isn't out of the question. 

Gameplay shown during the reveal and on the game's website indicates that Atelier Resleriana will incorporate many gacha game practices, including a progress-gating stamina system and premium currency microtransactions. I'm willing to bet that this is at least part of the reason the reveal stream, which was positioned as a presentation for the series' next big release, currently has nearly three times more dislikes than likes on YouTube, but I reckon the rabbit hole goes deeper. 

Atelier Resleriana follows the Atelier Ryza trilogy, the most recent installment being this year's Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key. Ryza is not only the highest-rated of the many trilogies and other interconnected mini-series in the Atelier library, it's also the closest the series has ever come to mainstream recognition and appeal. 

This is an extremely niche line of shoujo and josei alchemy sims spliced with remarkably good turn-based JRPGs, and while Ryza wasn't exactly a Monster Hunter World-grade breakout, it got a lot more eyes than the series usually does. That's likely thanks to the quality and nature of the games themselves, the promotion and anime it received, its platforms also including Switch and PC, and many other factors. 

The point is, Ryza was seen as a new high for Atelier, and it was further aided by the recent and solid remake, and first official Western release, of the Atelier game that started it all. By comparison, Resleriana has thus far been perceived as a dramatic comedown. 

The small but tightly knit Atelier subreddit has not exactly welcomed the impending gacha game with open arms. The top posts at the time of writing are all singing some version of the same sad song: "My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined." 

I was particularly struck by a comment lamenting that "now I know how Blizzard fans felt" after Diablo Immortal. "A shame really, I really like the design of the MC," reads another. A common mantra is also gaining ground: "See you all in A26." 

I do think Diablo Immortal is a useful comparison here, and not just because of the mood in the room. The necessary disclaimer is that Atelier Resleriana is not out and may well be a good JRPG despite its gacha trappings, and like Diablo Immortal, it could find a sustainable audience. However, also like Diablo Immortal, it seems likely that this hypothetical audience would consist of a lot of people who aren't diehard fans of the core series, because those people are inevitably going to be more interested in the no-strings-attached stuff they know and love. 

Just as Diablo Immortal was not what a lot of Diablo fans wanted, some Atelier fans are understandably concerned that the series' much-loved design pillars will be compromised or indeed monetized as a result of the jump to a free-to-play mobile game. The simple fact that people are hoping it's good despite its target genre and platforms rather than because of them is telling in and of itself. There's a low – but admittedly non-zero – chance that Resleriana lives up to expectations, hence why the vibe in the community continues to deteriorate. 

The volatile nature of gacha games also looms ominously over the announcement. Tie-in and spin-off mobile games die in a year or two with concerning regularity, and it's not hard to imagine a game from a niche series like Atelier meeting the same fate even after a shot in the arm from Ryza. To its credit, Akatsuki's other games, like Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle and Romancing Saga Re; Universe, seem to be doing all right a few years after release. 

There are at least a few silver linings making the rounds. One, Resleriana will be free, so fans can at least try it without risk or investment. Two, it is a new Atelier game with a new protagonist, and again, it could be good. Three, developer Gust likely has what many fans would consider a 'proper' Atelier game in the works with Reslerian being handled by another studio. You could also argue that the fact Atelier has gotten big enough to secure this kind of project is a good sign for its growth. Has any of this taken the edge off the sting of today's news? Well...

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