Beard Papa's latest corporate cash-grab dresses up as a celebration of Persona's 30th anniversary, but it reeks of performative inclusivity theater that sidelines the series' deeper themes of identity and rebellion.

The Ube S’mores, Cookies n’ Cream, and Double Berry cream puffs launching September 4 only nod to Persona 1, 4, and 5 while merch promises "heroes and heroines from every game" yet delivers the same tired merch pipeline seen in prior anime collabs like Zenless Zone Zero—nothing about centering marginalized voices in the actual narratives or addressing how these partnerships often exoticize or tokenize Asian gaming culture for Western wallets.

This is the kind of shallow corporate synergy that lets brands wave rainbow pins while the industry still struggles with genuine representation beyond surface-level flavors and acrylic standees. The in-game item codes for Persona 5: The Phantom X feel like a desperate attempt to rope in the fandom without confronting the problematic dynamics of gacha-adjacent monetization or the erasure of non-binary and queer experiences in mainstream gaming marketing.

While we appreciate the discourse around cross-cultural food collabs, we need to flag that this headline and event may be harmful to marginalized communities in gaming spaces seeking authentic, non-commodified nods to their identities rather than dessert-themed distractions.