Expect Atelier's 20th Anniversary Title to be Released Within 2017 in Japan

The latest Weekly Famitsu issue has a special coverage on Atelier series' 20th anniversary, which includes a summary of all Atelier games released so far, a collection of new illustrations from series character designers celebrating the anniversary, and an interview with the series creators.

We are wondering if there are any new hints on when Atelier's newest title -which should be also marked as the 20th anniversary title- will be released, and Keisuke Kikuchi, vice leader of Koei Tecmo's Gust brand, has something to say about it in the interview. Continue reading below to see a translation of the interview excerpt.

Famitsu: So, what exactly is the flow for the next Atelier?

Kikuchi: The thing that makes Atelier interesting is that a series usually ends after about 3 games, and another series comes out again after that. And then, we also release 1 RPG each year. Without changing those basic parts, we want to deliver a product that fits the next generation and can make everyone surprised.

Famitsu: So does that mean it's okay to consider that a new title will be released in this year as well!?

Kikuchi: Let's see... for example if there is a magazine that's released yearly, and if there's a year where the magazine doesn't come out, it feels a bit lonesome, isn't it?

Famitsu: It feels lonesome indeed.

Kikuchi: So I think we do not want to make all of our fans feel lonesome.

Famitsu: As a fan, I want a new game, and I also want to look forward to the 20th anniversary project.

Kikuchi: In the 20th anniversary site which opened last month, we are currently showing announcements of the special live (which will be held on July 9th) and merchandises. But we are also planning to show even more announcements, so please look forward to them.

The latest Atelier game released is Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey, which was out in Japan on November 2nd 2016, in North America on March 7th 2017, and in Europe on March 10th 2017. Since Atelier Firis is the second game in the Mysterious series, perhaps we can expect the upcoming new Atelier game, slated to release within 2017 in Japan, to be the third game that concludes the current series.