Joshua Robertson is a News Editor for TheGamer. When not writing about breaking news, community stories, or covering industry events, you can find him begging FromSoftware for a Bloodborne remaster.
The Like A Dragon series has been going for quite a while, and with eight mainline titles so far (and lord knows how many spinoffs), it doesn’t sound like the train is coming to a stop any time soon. We have Yakuza 3 Kiwami + Dark Ties coming this year, which should tide us over to the next mainline entry, but it seems as though we shouldn’t just assume that there will always be a next game.
Like A Dragon Head Treats Every Game Like There Won’t Be A Sequel
In a recent interview with Famitsu (translated by Automaton), Ryu ga Gotoku Studio head and Like A Dragon executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama talked a little bit about the future of the Like a Dragon series as a whole. In the interview, he reveals that he doesn’t actually think as far ahead as we all think he does, despite us being eight mainline titles deep into the series at this point.
“Even now that it’s a series, I still create each installment thinking that it could be the final chapter,” says Yokoyama. “As an example, I haven’t thought about what happens to Ichiban Kasuga in the future yet.”
The Only Way To Buy Yakuza 3 Now Is Through A $130 Complete Series Bundle
With Yakuza 3 being delisted, the only way to buy the game is through an expensive complete collection.
It’s a pretty sensible mindset, if we’re being honest. Even though many of us would like to believe that the Like A Dragon series is mainstream due to its recent popularity, Ryu Ga Gotoku itself still doesn’t. It makes sense that a studio working with a series they don’t think is mainstream wouldn’t outright assume that another would be made or even greenlit by Sega itself, even if it is popular right now.
Thankfully, we do have new Yakuza games coming, and the series is probably the healthiest it’s ever been. However, trouble has been brewing within the community recently, mostly thanks to a campaign to remove one of the new actors from Yakuza Kiwami 3 who openly admitted to sexual misconduct back in 2019.
- Released
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January 26, 2024
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Simulated Gambling, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
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Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Engine
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Dragon Engine
