'Persona 4' fighting game will be region-locked on PlayStation 3

Persona 4 fighting game gets region-locked for PS3, but retains global play.

Thinking about importing Atlus' upcoming fighting game set in the Persona series? You may want to think again, as Persona 4 Arena will be region-locked on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Atlus says.

That's a rarity on the PS3. Unlike its competitors – and previous PlayStations – the system was designed to be largely region-free for games, meaning PlayStation 3 owners can play almost all Japanese and European releases on their North American systems, and vice versa. But Persona 4 Arena will be region-locked in all territories.

"Our version of the game works for the North and South America regions," said an Atlus staffer on the company's forums. "Also keep in mind that both the [North American] and [Japanese] versions have both English and Japanese text/voice options, making them nearly identical. I'm unsure of what the case will be for the [European] version."

According to a statement from Atlus provided to Siliconera, the game will retain global online play, allowing players from all regions to fight head-to-head over the internet.

Persona 4 Arena comes to the Americas on August 7th for PS3 and Xbox 360. The game will be released in Japan as Persona 4 The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena on July 26th.