One of the most recurring themes of 2023, apart from the high quality of its releases, has been the deep crisis experienced by workers in the industry. Corporate restructuring, staff reductions and even layoffs and the complete closure of studios have put thousands of video game developers and workers in a precarious situation. But among so many negative notes, it is surprising to see initiatives from the company to protect and value the work of its employees.
In this case we are talking about Atlus, the studio commonly known as the creators of the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series, (and which next year will open a new IP with Metaphor: ReFantazio), which according to Famitsu is going to increase workers' salaries by 15% from April 2024. This also includes newcomers, with juniors for example going from the current ¥250,000 (at the current exchange rate, around £1,300/1.500 euros) to ¥300,000 (around £1,600/1.800 euros).
Good news for current and future Atlus employees, who have an exciting 2024 ahead of them with the releases of Persona: Reload and Metaphor: ReFantazio, and who are hopefully also secretly working on Persona 6.