Yakuza Kiwami 3 has more than a few problems, such as a disappointing DLC side story, the controversial retconning of the original game’s story, and the bizarre changes to certain characters like Rikiya and Hamazaki, the latter of which is now played by controversial Japanese actor Teruyuki Kagawa. All of that has given Yakuza Kiwami 3 one of the worst Metacritic scores in the history of the series.
A lot of this would have been easier to swallow had Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios not hired the likes of Kagawa, who once admitted to sexually harassing a hostess in a bar back in 2019, and the fact he was made the face of one of the game’s main villains didn’t sit well with many. Now that the game is out, Yakuza fans have wasted no time in rectifying that problem.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 Players Are Already Modding Out Teruyuki Kagawa
Uploaded to Nexus Mods by a user called Subcio, this mod essentially replaces the new Hamazaki in all the game’s cutscenes and character profile images with the character’s original model from Yakuza 3. Not only that, but they also manage to update the model to Dragon Engine standards as well, and as you can see from the images above and on Nexus Mods, it’s pretty flawless.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Review – Double Ki-Whammy
Yakuza Kiwami 3 enhances the original with new features and improved visuals, but some changes may frustrate longtime fans. Dark Ties is a fun, if brief, detour starring Yoshitaka Mine.
Unfortunately, Kagawa’s presence in the game hasn’t been removed entirely. Right now, the original Hamazaki’s voice is still present, as are his facial animations and his model in pre-rendered scenes. Thankfully, Subcio does say they have future plans to update the mod with Hamazaki’s original voice, as well as implement some UI and image changes, and give Hamazaki more Yakuza 3 appropriate footwear.
As someone who has been put off by Yakuza Kiwami 3 altogether by the Kagawa controversy — and the new character models in general — it’s nice to see modders step in to make the game a little bit more comfortable to play for the diehard Yakuza faithful. It also proves that Sega or Ryu ga Gotoku could have very easily done this itself had it felt like all the debates and drama surrounding the casting was worth the effort. It’s scrubbed actors from their games before, there’s no reason why it couldn’t have done it this time too.
I also have my fingers crossed that Subcio also does this with Rikiya too. Not because the actor that replaced him is controversial or anything, but because I just miss the boy. Bring him back to me please Ryu Ga Gotoku, I’ll do anything.
- 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
