Metaphor: ReFantazio has only just settled into the hands of players, but director Katsura Hashino is already looking far past it. In a recent interview, the long-time Persona and Shin Megami Tensei creator said he wants to push toward something he calls “JRPG 3.0,” describing it as a step that would fundamentally reshape how the genre is built both in structure and in presentation.

Hashino didn’t outline a strict blueprint, and that’s part of what made the comment interesting. Instead, he talked about how traditional JRPG conventions have become “solidified,” and that the next evolution isn’t simply about higher fidelity visuals or bigger worlds. He believes the genre is overdue for a deeper rethink the kind that affects how players move through stories, how battles unfold, and how the game communicates its ideas moment-to-moment.

His comments come at a time when Atlus is in a particularly experimental phase. Metaphor: ReFantazio already stretched well outside the studio’s comfort zone with its large-scale worldbuilding and hybrid combat systems, but Hashino seems convinced that this is only a stepping stone. “JRPG 3.0,” as he framed it, would be a shift comparable to the way early 2000s games broke from the 16-bit era. Not a visual jump, but a conceptual one.

What that actually looks like is still up in the air. Atlus tends to keep its long-term projects under wraps, and Hashino’s Team Zero operates even more quietly than most. Still, it’s rare to hear a veteran designer talk openly about wanting to disrupt the very genre he helped define. The fact that he’s thinking in terms of sweeping changes, rather than incremental updates, suggests that Atlus is preparing for another big swing.

You can also feel the subtext: the JRPG space is crowded, and players have grown used to certain comfort-food patterns. Hashino’s comments read like someone who feels that staying still is just as risky as pushing too far. If he gets to make this “JRPG 3.0,” whatever form it takes, it’ll likely be the kind of project that invites arguments, excitement, and maybe even a little confusion which is usually a sign something interesting is brewing.

For now, Metaphor stands as Atlus’ most ambitious effort in years, and Hashino’s latest remarks make it sound like it was never meant to be the end point. If anything, it’s the warm-up lap for something even stranger.