Digimon Story: Time Stranger introduces new Digimon enhancement systems

Cross Arts and Digimon personalities.

Publisher Bandai Namco and developer Media.Vision have shared new information on Digimon Story: Time Stranger, introducing the game’s new Digimon enhancement systems.

Here are the details, via Bandai Namco lead producer Ryosuke Hara on PlayStation Blog:

About
Digimon Story: Time Stranger is a monster-raising RPG that combines a rich narrative centered on the bond between humans and Digimon, a deeply strategic turn-based battle system, and extensive Digimon collection, training, and customization mechanics. Players take on the role of an agent from the secret organization ADAMAS, which specializes in investigating supernatural phenomena. Your mission will take you across both the human world and the Digital World: Iliad—and beyond the boundaries of time itself.
The game is developed by Media.Vision, the team behind the fan-favorite Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth. Building on that experience, we’ve introduced new systems and immersive ways to express the game’s world, story, and characters to create a special experience for longtime fans and those just discovering Digimon games alike.
What is a Digimon?

In this title, Digimon are electronic lifeforms that possess characteristics of both organic matter and electric signals. Early on, players will take on their first hostile Digimon encounter with their choice of a Digimon provided by ADAMAS. Defeat each Digimon type often enough to create an instance of it in a process known as Conversion. You can collect and train over 450 Digimon, each with unique traits and non-linear evolution paths.
Attributes and Elements: How to Beat the Odds
The turn-based battle system is built around the interaction of Digimon Attributes and Element. Their interactions create a battle environment where deeper strategies can emerge.
Attribute: Vaccine, Virus, Data, Free, Variable, and others (seven total)
Element: Fire, Water, Plant, and others (11 total)
Virus-type Digimon are weak to Vaccine-type, which are weak to Data-type. The other Attributes have their own strengths and weaknesses. Separately, each Digimon has resistances and weaknesses to the Elements.
For example, if your opponent is a Virus-type, attacking with a Vaccine-type Digimon will grant a +100% damage bonus. Additionally, using Water-type skills against them if they’re weak to water will further increase the damage multiplier! The reverse is also true—if both attribute and element matchups are unfavorable, the damage dealt will be significantly reduced.
Gain the battle advantage by obtaining a variety of Digimon through both converting Digimon and by Digivolving them. As digital beings, Digivolution is not linear—meeting certain conditions will unlock multiple evolution paths, and Digimon can even be De-digivolved to a younger form, allowing for flexible training strategies.
Digimon Personalities: Daring or Adoring?
One of the new systems introduced in Time Stranger is Personalities. Each Digimon has one of 16 personality types, which influence stat growth, skill acquisition, and even digivolution conditions.
For example, a Digimon with a Daring personality will see higher growth in Attack and Defense, making it more suited for physical offense.
They can also learn personality-linked skills that enhance combat capabilities. While a Digimon’s personality is initially determined when it is converted, it can be changed later through communication and training using special items in the Digifarm.
That means you can have two of the same Digimon that may perform differently based on their Personalities.
Agent Skills: Lend a Helping Hand
Another new system is Agent Skills, which represents the player’s own abilities as an ADAMAS agent. By completing missions, players earn points that can be used to unlock various effects—such as enhancing Digimon with specific personalities, increasing experience gain, or easing digivolution requirements. These skills allow for even more depth in how you prepare for battles.
Agents also have unique abilities known as Cross Arts—powerful techniques that fuse the player’s Digivice with a Digimon’s power during battles. Cross Arts can significantly influence combat with support effects like stat boosts or follow-up attacks.
As your Digimon train and evolve, you will also experience your own growth, indicated by Agent Rank. This directly affects your Digimon’s strength.
We encourage players to take on missions proactively, raise their rank, and experience the sense of unity that comes from fighting alongside their Digimon teammates.
As you can see, Attributes, Elements, and Digivolving—along with the new Digimon Personalities and Agent Skills—all work together to add strategic depth to this unique battle system. Every fight is an opportunity to understand the strengths and weaknesses of Digimon and an opportunity to build a roster of Digimon ready for any scenario.