Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is just around the corner, and it already appears to be both a return to form and an impressively expanded follow-up to the mobile and PC gacha game Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Night Liberator. While details on just how closely the new title aligns with the original gacha game are still sparse, we here at RPGFan had a chance to interview both Junzo Hosoi (Managing Director, Head of Gust, KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD., and General Producer of Atelier Resleriana) and Yasunori Sakuda (Executive Officer, Team NINJA 1 Department Manager, KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD., Development Producer of Atelier Resleriana).
RPGFan: As a follow-up to Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Night Liberator, when does Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian take place, and can we expect to see protagonists Resna and Valeria?
Sakuda: This title takes place in a different area, during the second half of the first season of the original Resleriana.
While I can’t share details about Resna or Valeria, I can say that they will make their appearance as key characters within the story.
RPGFan: Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian appears to retain the mobile game’s crossover nature, given the presence of Mana Khemia 2’s Raze, Atelier Totori’s Totori, Atelier Ayesha’s Wilbell, and Atelier Sophie’s Sophie. Can we expect to see any more returning faces like Ryza or Yumia?
Sakuda: Many of the legendary characters will visit Hallfein, though they won’t participate in battles. Players will make new discoveries as to what they are doing in the world of Resleriana, so look forward to it.
RPGFan: With the more action oriented combat found in the Secret games and the recently released Atelier Yumia, Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian’s return to a turn-based battle system feels like a great way to balance the franchise. How does Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian’s battle system compare to some of Gust’s beloved turn-based games such as Atelier Sophie 2?
Sakuda: This title’s battle system will use certain elements from the previous turn-based battles. For example, in Atelier Sophie 2 we had the “Twin Action,” which allowed two characters to move together. However, this title features the “multi-action,” which allows for a maximum of three characters to move together.
In Atelier Lulua, the “Interrupt” action could only be performed by Alchemists. For this title, items equipped by the back line characters (and up to three of them) can interrupt at the same time and use items.
RPGFan: The Atelier series is famed for its fantastic soundtracks, masterfully crafted by brilliant composers such as Daisuke Achiwa, Yanagawa Kazuki, and Hyato Asano, to name a few. What composers can we expect to hear in Atelier Resleriana? Are there any new composers that have yet to contribute to the Atelier series?
Sakuda: Kazuki Yanagawa, who always creates our music, is a part of this game. Also, Daisuke Shinoda, who also created music for the smartphone version of Atelier Resleriana, also contributes to this game.
RPGFan: How does the development team approach the creation of a new Atelier game? Does the team start with a concept and decide how the battle system, exploration, and synthesis would best fit? How do these systems influence one another?
Hosoi: We compare the data from trending games, similar titles, and users’ opinions and discuss if what we gathered matches our vision or if it’s the right choice for Atelier. Once the general direction has been decided, the director mainly goes over the system with each section’s team leader. During this time, we check if each specification’s elements match the title’s concept and game loop, as this brings light to issues right at the early stages. If a problem arises, the director and leaders review it and we gradually approach the game’s completion.
RPGFan: Modern Atelier games are known for having a lot of depth to their combat systems. How does the development team approach creating a new battle system for the series? What does the team consider the most important part of combat in an Atelier game?
Hosoi: A prerequisite is to create a tempo that feels comfortable to play. Additionally, we are careful to set how many options are prepared. In the Atelier series, the items created through synthesis make a huge difference in the battle. It’s not just a simple battle, so I think it’s essential to know how to incorporate the “item” option. Of course, the items are powerful in this title, but their importance grows even further by using the interrupt item.
RPGFan: While Atelier Marie Remake was a return to basics with synthesis, Atelier Yumia featured a robust, complex, and deep synthesis system. How does the synthesis system in Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian compare to more recent Atelier synthesis systems, such as Atelier Sophie 2?
Sakuda: With Resleriana, we have made the “Carry over of traits by linking colors” basic flow simple on purpose so that those who are not familiar with the Atelier series could also enjoy it. This title’s synthesis will continue in that same line, while also adding a mechanism in which the order the colors are linked affects which traits will be carried over. This addition was made with users who enjoy figuring out the syntheses in mind. For this reason, I think the scope is massive and has depth.
RPGFan: Atelier Sophie 2 had a nearly perfect difficulty curve on Normal difficulty, yet Atelier Yumia felt a bit too easy on normal difficulty. How is the team approaching difficulty in Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian, and will there be any harder difficulty settings at launch beyond Hard or Very Hard?
Sakuda: The NORMAL mode in this title is made to be played comfortably. The EASY mode focuses on casual players who would like to check the story. We have also prepared HARD and VERY HARD modes, so to those who want to enjoy a truly difficult battle, feel free to give the VERY HARD mode a try. Of course, this is the Atelier series so, as usual, those who don’t make full use of items will face a tough battle, regardless of the difficulty!
As a post-game unlockable element, we have a higher difficulty mode, so those who wish to, we hope they will challenge it.
RPGFan: Recent Atelier games have had season passes and post-launch content available for purchase. What kind of DLC can we expect to see with Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian?
Sakuda: In addition to the standard BGM pack and extra outfits, we are planning to release additional stages and recipe expansion packs. We also have a lot more surprises in store, so please look forward to more information.
RPGFan: While Atelier Yumia’s themes were about proving oneself, atoning for the sins of one’s ancestors, and helping others, what would you say are Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian’s themes or messages?
Hosoi: The main theme of this story is “Finding hope and recovering what was once lost.”
The story takes place in Hallfein, a town destroyed in a past incident. For years, no one was allowed to reenter it. As time passed, the restrictions were lifted and Rias, a former resident, returns to her hometown hoping to restore it as she works on her grandfather’s shop. Slade is also originally from Hallfein, but more than restoring the town, his main goal upon returning is to uncover the origins of said incident. The two of them meet in Hallfein and work on restoring the town as they uncover the mystery of the incident.
I would appreciate if players, through our protagonists Rias and Slade, feel the importance of not being sad over what was lost, but to use it as encouragement to connect hope to the future.
RPGFan would like to thank Junzo Hosoi and Yasunori Sakuda for taking the time to answer our questions about the upcoming title and the Atelier series overall. Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & the White Guardian is available September 26th, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.
