Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a fighting video game co-developed by Atlus and Arc System Works. It was released for arcades in 2013, and for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2014 by Atlus in Japan and North America and by Sega in Europe. Versions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows were released by Sega in March 2022. A direct sequel to Persona 4 Arena, the game is a spin-off from the Persona series, itself part of the larger Megami Tensei franchise. Gameplay follows standard fighting game conventions, with matches between two characters with individual movesets, and special expendable abilities. The storyline is told through visual novel segments. Arena Ultimax takes place immediately after Persona 4 Arena; Arena is set two months after the events of Persona 4, and three years after Persona 3. After a supernatural red fog covers the town of Inaba, the Investigation Team of Persona 4 team up with the Shadow Operatives—a group formed by the SEES of Persona 3—to uncover the truth behind the P-1 Grand Prix and confront Sho Minazuki, a hostile Persona user. Arena Ultimax was intended as closure for the story of Arena, beginning production following the first game's critical and commercial success. The main staff of Arena returned for Arena Ultimax, with the gameplay being refined based on feedback. The release was supported by downloadable content featuring characters and accessories. Selling over 280,000 units worldwide, the game was positively reviewed by critics; many cited the gameplay as superior to its predecessor. Gameplay Like the previous title, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a fighting game in which characters from both Persona 3 and Persona 4 battle each other using a variety of special moves, combos, and Persona abilities. Along with balance adjustments and new moves added to the returning characters, a new S-Hold system allows players to charge up their attacks. Also new to Ultimax is the ability to choose "Shadow Types" for many of the game's characters. These Shadow versions differ by being largely skill-based variants of their counterparts, employing a high-risk high-reward play style thanks to reduced normal attack damage and an altered move set with lacking defensive options. They also keep their SP over multiple rounds instead of resetting each time and possess an exclusive Shadow Rampage ability, which replaces the Burst command, giving the characters infinite SP for a limited time. The game's story mode, told in