{"id":72797,"date":"2026-09-22T16:35:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T07:35:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=72797"},"modified":"2026-09-22T16:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T07:35:32","slug":"upcoming-the-apothecary-diaries-game-was-literally-pitched-as-atelier-maomao-to-gust-developers-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/upcoming-the-apothecary-diaries-game-was-literally-pitched-as-atelier-maomao-to-gust-developers-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Upcoming The Apothecary Diaries game was literally pitched as \u201cAtelier Maomao\u201d to Gust, developers say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During a developer talk at Tokyo Game Show 2026, it was revealed that one of the catalysts for the creation of <strong>The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother<\/strong> was an idea from Toho to make \u201can RPG in the style of the Atelier series.\u201d Using this concept as a springboard, Koei Tecmo\u2019s studio Gust created what would become the upcoming mystery adventure game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Toho producer Takayuki Onishi, there was a time when the project to produce an Apothecary Diaries game faced difficulties moving forward. Amidst several failed ideas, he proposed what he called \u201cAtelier Maomao\u201d (an Apothecary Diaries game in the style of the Atelier RPGs) to Gust executive producer Junso Hosoi. The idea received almost immediate approval, and work on the game officially began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother - Announcement Trailer\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/amdOkW4uKxA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother takes elements from the Atelier series and refocuses them toward solving five interconnected mysteries and curses that plague the Royal Capital. As Maomao, you gather information by exploring areas and talking to people. By presenting the evidence you gather, you engage in conversations that earn you credibility, which leads you closer to solving the mysteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The False Imperial Brother repurposes the Atelier series\u2019 synthesis system by allowing you to create medicines using medicinal herbs and ingredients found throughout the world. Ingredient quality and variety affect the difficulty of the crafting minigames as well as the potency of the concocted medicine. Those who want to focus more on the game\u2019s mystery-solving elements can also auto-craft medicines using the items in their inventory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1559\" height=\"876\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1559px) 100vw, 1559px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260922-72797-header.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-72802\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260922-72797-header.jpg 1559w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260922-72797-header-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260922-72797-header-767x431.jpg 767w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260922-72797-header-1536x863.jpg 1536w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pushsquare.com\/features\/i-was-thinking-about-the-possibility-of-atelier-maomao-how-the-apothecary-diaries-became-a-ps5-game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Push Square<\/a> interview, Onishi noted that the atmosphere and tone of the Atelier series have changed over the years, with the initial games\u2019 predominantly female fanbase contrasting with the male-dominated fanbase of the latter titles. However, he predicts that female fans who enjoyed Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg (the first game in the series) will likewise enjoy The False Imperial Brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Featuring an original story concept by series creator Hyuganatsu, The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother is set to release in Early 2027 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, and PC (<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/4905780\/The_Apothecary_Diaries_The_False_Imperial_Brother\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/body-shape-changing-mechanic-for-atelier-karias-hungry-protagonist-likely-to-be-implemented-devs-were-surprised-by-overwhelming-demand-and-are-working-on-it-at-full-speed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Body shape changing mechanic for Atelier Karia\u2019s hungry protagonist likely to be implemented. Devs were surprised by \u201coverwhelming demand\u201d and are working on it at full speed<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The idea came from TOHO, the production company behind The Apothecary Diaries anime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":72800,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2","date":"2026-09-22T07:35:38+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mw3povr5yj2s","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mw3povr5yj2s\",\"cid\":\"bafyreicb3iwjo37mxxncmhjcxdfcv2jgm7gyoq7hvropfe3uxukdvscnka\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreidmdpwxruc57dncbk46blg7i5kubaypihrw7tfwn57h3nipaevmyy\",\"rev\":\"3mw3povrmnb2s\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","autoblue_publish_document":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-72797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - 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