Last month saw the reveal of the latest entry in Gust’s Atelier series, and this time, the new game has twist: While usually developed for console, the next release will be a gacha game for mobile and Steam.
Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy & the Liberator of Polar Night is expected to release on iOS and Android later this year in Japan. The exact release date remains a mystery for now.
The past and future combine
Atelier Resleriana is being developed by Gust and published by parent company Koei Tecmo, usually known for its console games and close ties to Nintendo. With gacha mechanics already confirmed, it is apparent that Koei Tecmo is looking for a slice of the mobile revenue pie. This is, after all, the company's first mobile game of the decade, breaking a pause on mobile releases that has lasted since 2018.
The company has also helped develop Fire Emblem games on Nintendo Switch in the past, so after seeing gacha game Fire Emblem Heroes reach the $1 billion milestone Koei Tecmo’s mobile return isn't a surprise.
Atelier Resleriana could even use its gacha as a means of selling legacy characters in the same way as Heroes, with both series having a plethora of protagonists and side characters in their histories dating back to the 90s.
The reveal trailer shows off the title’s new protagonists with gameplay that appears faithful to prior series entries, focusing on fighting, gathering materials and developing one's alchemy skills. Since the reveal, further details have been released via Twitter, such as Tuesday’s (September 5) official announcement that Atelier Ryza characters will appear in the new game.
As the latest trilogy of Atelier games on console, Atelier Ryza broke new ground for the series with over 1.5 million unit sales across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Steam. Following this success, an anime adaptation began to air this July showing Ryza and her friends’ lives in a village on Kurken Island.
It makes sense, then, that the titular Ryza and her companions should make an appearance in the series’ next step - surely helping to encourage fans who first tried out an Atelier game with Ryza to make the move to mobile.
Koei Tecmo has previously worked with Top 50 Mobile Game Maker Square Enix too - on the acclaimed Final Fantasy series, for example - but whether Atelier Resleriana will follow in Square’s footsteps and be a Japan-only exclusive remains to be seen.
