Persona 4 Arena digital rights in Europe back with Atlus

P-qube, partner company of Zen United, confirmed to Joystiq it's returned the European digital rights for Persona 4 Arena back to Atlus. Head of Marketing Geriant Evans explained that's why the game and its DLC disappeared from PSN two weeks ago, though curiously it remains available on Xbox Live. Persona 4 Arena was infamously the first retail game to be region-locked on PS3, a decision that came under scrutiny following the fighter's long delay in reaching Europe.

We've reached out to Atlus for more information on the decision, as the company's yet to comment on the move. The transfer could be minor housekeeping, or it could speak to a change in Atlus' approach to publishing in Europe. Traditionally Atlus goes through third parties like Zen United, NIS America and Rising Star to distribute its games in Europe, with release dates often lagging behind North America. It's also possible the decision is tied to bringing follow-up Persona 4 Arena Ultimax to the continent.

As things stand, there remain no European release details for Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Persona 4: Dancing All Night, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and Persona 5.