Atlus’s Kenichi Goto worried that turn-based battles were starting to seem outdated. However, the development of Metaphor revitalized his belief in the format. In a recent discussion, Goto stated:

“I personally believe turn-based games have a long future ahead of them.”

His optimism is rooted in the successes of recent titles, with Metaphor: ReFantazio winning the RPG of the Year award in 2024, preceded by Baldur’s Gate 3 winning the overall Game of the Year in 2023.

This resurgence within the RPG genre demonstrates that players are still engaging with traditional turn-based formats, despite a market trend leaning towards action-based gameplay.

In addressing concerns about the viability of turn-based games, Goto noted:

“I think both turn-based battles and action battles can coexist.”

He expressed confidence that turn-based RPGs can achieve comparable success to their action-oriented counterparts as they move further into 2025.