Persona 5 Royal takes everything great about the original game and enhances it with new mechanics, characters, and improvements. However, these changes also mean that some strategies that worked in the base game may not be as effective. If you’re diving into Royal, here are some essential tips based on extensive experience with the game.

1. Use Makoto in Battle

Makoto was already a powerhouse in the original game, but Royal makes her even better. She gains access to Maakuja, an ability that inflicts Forget on enemies. Unlike other status ailments, Forget affects a much broader range of enemies, trivializing some of the toughest battles. Additionally, Royal significantly buffs Technical Damage, making Forget even more valuable.

To further enhance Makoto’s strength, take her to the Jazz Club to learn abilities like Concentrate and Spell Master, turning her into a magical powerhouse.

2. Be Mindful of Ability Changes

Many skills from the original game have been rebalanced. One notable example is Swift Strike, which was a staple in Persona 5 due to its multiple light-damage hits. In Royal, it has been nerfed, now dealing fewer hits at lower damage.

Before accepting or replacing abilities, check their updated values carefully to avoid making your characters weaker unintentionally.

3. Upgrade Baton Pass and Technical Damage

Both Baton Pass and Technical Damage have been significantly improved in Royal. Each now has ranks that enhance their effectiveness, which you can level up by playing darts and billiards in Kichijoji.

• Baton Pass Ranks: Higher ranks provide increased damage, as well as HP and SP recovery when passing a turn.
• Technical Ranks: Increasing this rank boosts Technical Damage and at Rank 4, guarantees a knockdown when landing a Technical hit.

To level these quickly, let party members finish darts matches to gain double rank-ups.

4. Maximize the Mementos Stamp System

A new feature in Royal is the Stamp Collection system in Mementos, introduced by Josée. You can collect stamps to enhance your Mementos rewards:

• Prioritize Money Gain: Since Royal naturally boosts XP gains, investing in Money Gain will allow you to fuse high-level Personas earlier (now unlocked at Strength Arcana Rank 5 instead of Rank 10).
• Use Mementos Efficiently: Only enter when you have at least 4-5 requests to maximize your time.

5. Take Advantage of Extra Nighttime Freedom

One of the best changes in Royal is the additional freedom at night. Previously, some story events forced you to sleep early, but now you can still engage in activities like:

• Reading books at LeBlanc
• Studying for Knowledge stat boosts
• Watching DVDs for social stat growth
• Solving crossword puzzles (now time-free!)

This small change allows for much more efficient social stat leveling, ensuring you maximize every in-game day.

6. Watch Out for Confidant Deadlines

While Royal gives you more time to max Confidants, a few characters have strict deadlines:

• Kawakami & Maruki: Unavailable during summer.
• Akechi: No longer ranks up automatically via the main story. Must be leveled manually before November 17th.
• Kasumi: Must reach Rank 5 before December 22nd to access additional content.
• Yoshida (Sun Arcana): Only available Sunday nights and holidays until November 14th.

Plan your schedule accordingly to avoid missing crucial ranks.

7. Sell Unneeded Gear Instead of Washing It

Instead of washing dirty gear from Palaces and Mementos, sell it at the vintage clothing store in Kichijoji. You’ll earn a bigger profit this way, saving valuable time and money.

8. Optimize Your Palace Runs

If you want to efficiently manage your time:

• Complete each Palace in one trip to free up time for Confidants and stat-building.
• Reach Rank 5 with Takemi early to purchase SP Adhesive 3, making extended Palace runs easier.
• Limit Mementos visits to when you have multiple requests, avoiding unnecessary grinding.

9. Be Smart About DLC Personas

If you have Persona 5 Royal’s DLC, hold off on installing DLC Personas until later in the game. These Personas interfere with fusion mechanics, reducing available fusion combinations. In some cases, they can even block certain fusions until late-game.

10. Use Social Stat Boosting Tricks

To raise social stats faster:

• Visit the Juice Stand in Shibuya every Sunday for a free stat boost.
• Use Chihaya (Fortune Arcana) to boost Confidant relationships.
• Buy postcards from September 1st to October 10th and send them via the Yongen-Jaya mailbox to increase Confidant points without using time slots.
• Always carry a Persona matching the Confidant’s Arcana when spending time with them to earn extra points.

Final Thoughts

With some planning, it’s entirely possible to max out all Confidants and social stats in a single playthrough while still having months of free time left. Use these tips to make the most of your Persona 5 Royal experience and ensure you don’t miss out on key content.

If you have any questions or need more guidance, feel free to drop a comment or check out my detailed video series on the game’s changes. Good luck, Phantom Thieves!