Sega finalises purchase of Persona developer Atlus

Atlus, the Japanese creator of cult titles including Persona 4, Catherine, Etrian Odyssey and Trauma Center, is now fully owned by Sega.

Sega picked up Atlus’ parent company Index Corporation in 2013 following its bankruptcy, before announcing that it would split off Atlus into its own division a year later.

Completing its buyout of the firm this week, Sega clarified that it and Atlus would continue to operate as separate entities, but that the publishing divisions of the companies would merge.

This means that all of the developers’ existing franchises would remain under their respective studios.

It added that all of Atlus’ future titles – presumably including the upcoming Persona 5, set for release later this year – would be published by Sega in North America.

Atlus previously localised Japanese Sega games Yakuza 5 and Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F for the region.

"After nearly a year working under the Sega Games division, both Sega of America and Atlus USA have thrived and released a combined total of 23 game products," Atlus CEO Naoto Hiraoka commented in a press release.

"Between Atlus’ ability to localise and release Japanese video game products efficiently and the strength of Sega of America’s reputation as a leading publisher in the industry, the situation could not be more symbiotic for both companies."