Anime Expo (AX) remains North America’s largest and most well-known anime convention. Each year, the convention draws thousands of congoers to Los Angeles, California. AX brings together passionate fans, industry professionals, and creators from around the globe to celebrate Japanese pop culture. This year’s convention took place from Thursday, July 3rd to Sunday, July 6th, and featured another outstanding showcase of cosplays, panels, and experiences. Congoers could immerse themselves in epic cosplay meetups and exclusive merchandise and attend exciting panels celebrating beloved franchises and creators.

One of the major highlights of the weekend was The Official Persona 5: The Phantom X panel. The panel was held on July 5th at 10:30 AM, featuring insights from SEGA producer Jun Matsunaga and Atlus producer Yohsuke Uda. Surprise appearances included Kazuhisa Wada (Persona, creative producer), Shigenori Soejima (Persona, character artist), and CDawgVA.

A Panel That Takes Your Heart

Excited fans filled the Persona 5: The Phantom X panel, eagerly seeking behind-the-scenes stories and development details. At the end, they couldn’t wait to have their hearts stolen by Lyn Inaizumi’s captivating performance.

The Persona development team went into great emphasis on how they aimed to achieve a realistic design for the Phantom Idols. They wanted the new Phantom Thieves to look as though they were relatable and belonged in the real world. The team certainly has a talent for giving the characters in the Persona series a distinct vibe. Their characters stand out with bold and impressive designs throughout the series.

“Looking at the P5X characters, we (the development team) tried to make them look like they’re living in the real world. So they feel and look authentic. Balancing these two things in a fictional game can be challenging. For example, I like the hairstyles. Even if we’re making sure there are realistic hairstyles, we don’t want them to look boring or mundane, or they’re all the same, especially next to each other. So we had to strike the right balance.”

The Phantom X team also shared that, unlike the base game Persona 5, there will be a limited calendar mechanic that players will go by. In doing this, players will have the leisure to explore and play through the game at their own pace. Instead, there will be more emphasis on synergy scenarios, roguelike content, and seasonal events.

“One of our goals is to have younger student gamers in Japan experience these games, so we decided to add in a summer festival, a Christmas event(s), Valentine’s Day, and similar kinds of seasonal special events.”

During the panel, Shigenori Soejima held a live sketch stream from beginning to end for the panel, capturing the audience’s attention. The illustration quickly became a highlight and a favorite among fans throughout the event.

As the panel concluded, they cleared the table. After a brief moment of anticipation, Lyn Inaizumi stepped onto the stage. The audience went wild and joined in for two songs, “Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There” and the infamous “Life Will Change.”

At the Persona Music Experience featuring Lyn Inaizumi at Anime Expo 2025, Atlus announced that they will hold a Persona Live concert in Los Angeles in January 2026.

Persona 5: The Phantom X is available on Steam, iOS, and Android.