Persona and Metaphor: ReFantazio creator says he wants to create "JRPG 3.0," fundamentally changing the genre's "structure and presentation"

Strohl, Gallica, the protagonist, and Hulkenberg in a Metaphor: ReFantazio anime cutscene screenshot. — (Image credit: Atlus / Sega)

Speaking at Korean gaming conference G-Star 2025, Metaphor: ReFantazio and modern Persona director Katsura Hashino says that the JRPG genre is entering its third iteration he calls "JRPG 3.0." During a talk called 'When experience becomes memory – designing lasting impressions through art and structure' with art director Shigenori Soejima, Hashino discusses where he sees the future of the JRPG as a genre.

During the talk, which was reported by 4gamer, Hashino discusses how the genre has evolved through the ages. He separates JRPGs into three eras: JRPG 1.0 is the style of JRPGs of the past, JRPG 2.0 represents games of the present, and JRPG 3.0 embodies the JRPGs yet to come.

As translated by GamesRadar+, Hashino says JRPG 1.0 includes the "true classics." He doesn't name specific examples, but JRPGs are one of the longest enduring genres, with games like Dragon Quest existing since 1986, and Final Fantasy seeing new entries since 1987. He says that the genre split into its second iteration with "its current style, which feels higher quality due to how much more responsive they are to the player."

However, the most interesting part of Hashino's speech was his description of the next generation of JRPGs. He isn't sure what "JRPG 3.0", as he calls it, will look like, but he hopes his next game will be part of this new iteration on the genre. According to the article, he believes, "there will be a greater dimension to these games and they'll change the genre's structure and presentation at a fundamental level."

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