Yep, it's the same reason that they changed all references of Yusis from PSII, Kein from PSIII, and Fal from PSIV to Rolf, Rhys, and Rika since those were the names that were used in the English localization, both in the original games and in the first PSO, specifically Rika's Claw. They are technically completely wrong translations, but they are more culturally appropriate due to their previous history.
Connect With Us