The wait for the next Yakuza Kiwami game has come to an end today thanks to the launch of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. After giving the first three games in the series the Kiwami treatment across the last decade, you might think Yakuza 4 is next in line. However, RGG Studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama has confirmed that’s probably it for Yakuza’s Kiwami remasters.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 Spells The End Of RGG’s Kiwami Efforts
“I think Yakuza Kiwami 3 will be the last one, and the Kiwami line will come to an end,” Yokoyama revealed during a Ryusta TV livestream. That doesn’t mean we’ll only be getting new entries that build on the Like A Dragon games that take place later on the timeline, though, nor does it mean Yakuzas 4, 5, and 6 won’t be remade or remastered in some way.
Quite the opposite, in fact, as Yokoyama added that a new series will be born from the Kiwami timeline’s ashes. “I don’t think it’ll continue as the Kiwami series anymore. I think a different series will begin,” the RGG boss revealed. “Not something like Like A Dragon 9, but rather a new series on a different line, with a different meaning.”
Yokoyama didn’t elaborate on what he means by that exactly, and since RGG has quite literally only just released Yakuza Kiwami 3 within a few hours of typing this, even he might not know what the future holds for the Yakuza games beyond continuing the Like A Dragon line.
This Will Make More Sense Once You’ve Played Yakuza Kiwami 3
Yokoyama did note that fans of the series will probably understand why RGG is leaving its Kiwami method behind once they’ve played Yakuza Kiwami 3. The Kiwami game isn’t a complete remake, but it does go further than a simple remaster. Elements of its story have been tweaked, characters changed, and some have been removed entirely.
The suggestion that turning more Yakuza games into Kiwami versions might be problematic after Yakuza 3 has sparked theories that we might be about to embark on an entirely different timeline. Perhaps one that branches off following the events of the third game and gives us entirely new stories to play, rather than polished versions of games we’ve already played with additional – and cut – content here and there.
If RGG was already considering leaving its Kiwami method behind ahead of Yakuza Kiwami 3’s launch, it will definitely be keen to say goodbye to it now that people have started playing. Kiwami 3 has received lukewarm review scores, and the decision to hire a problematic actor for one of its roles tainted the game long before anyone had the chance to play it. It’s a shame this is how the Kiwami line ends, but doing something fresh with Yakuza’s past moving forward is the right call.
- Released
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February 11, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
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Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
