It may be hard to believe, but there was a new Yakuza/Like A Dragon game released in Hawaii in 2025 in the form of Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza, as well as updates to the director's cut of Yakuza 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2.
In other words, Ryugagotoku Studio will still be busy in 2025, but when is it really not that busy? Kiwami 3 Direct is also scheduled for next week on December 23rd!
That said, there was a point where you couldn't admit you were a fan of the series. At least that's what series lead and executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama told Sony as part of a new post highlighting Like A Dragon's 20th anniversary on the PlayStation blog.
I'm scared to go in like a dragon, so I keep playing Yakuza spin-off games instead.
There are so many mainstream Yakuza games out there, why not start with a spinoff instead?
There's never been a bad time to be a Dragons fan, but internally it doesn't seem that way.
When asked by the PlayStation Blog what Ryugagotoku Studio is most proud of now compared to when the series began, Yokoyama highlighted a very tragic reality that fans and even developers once suffered from.
“Maybe people will finally be able to say that they like series more openly, like Dragon,” Yokoyama said. “In the past, it wasn’t something you could talk about. It was difficult to talk about it publicly because of reputation and brand image. In the early days, even some of the studio’s developers kept their involvement a secret from their parents or girlfriends.”
However, Yokoyama claims that after 10 years, the employees of Ryugagotoku Studio began to “recognize their work proudly.” Participating in the Yakuza/Like A Dragon franchise has even helped someone get approved for marriage.
“It was then that I really realized how much the series’ presence and perception in the world had evolved,” Yokoyama added.
So what does the future hold for the Like A Dragon series?
“Now that RGG Studio is growing into a recognized brand, we want to continue to carefully nurture it to ensure it remains a brand our staff, partners, cast and fans can all be proud of,” he concluded.
To me, it sounds like more games the series has already outlined, including Stranger Than Heaven, which looks sophisticated.
- released
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February 21, 2025
- ESRB
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Ages 17+ // Blood, intense violence, partial nudity, sexual themes, strong language, alcohol
- developer
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Ryugagotoku Studio
Imaginary Beef by Geoff Keighley and Hollow Knight: Silksong was my favorite at The Game Awards.
I'm sitting here eating popcorn while playing Hollow Knight: Silksong and Geof Keighley.
