Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has announced Yakuza 8 as well as a new Yakuza game that follows beloved protagonist Kiryu Kazuma’s journey following the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. But first things first, publisher Sega has dropped “Yakuza” from the series’ title, with all new games being titled “Like a Dragon” going forward. So, Yakuza 8 is Like a Dragon 8, the new game that follows the events of Yakuza 6 is titled Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, and as announced yesterday, Yakuza: Ishin is Like a Dragon: Ishin. Get it? No? We’ll help break it down for ya!
All new Yakuza/Like a Dragon announcements explained
Like a Dragon: Ishin
Like a Dragon: Ishin will launch on February 21, 2023 for PS5 and PS4 among other platforms. It’s a remaster of Yakuza: Ishin, which only released in Japan. However, some of the original characters will be portrayed by new actors. Ishin is set in 1860s and tasks players with stepping into the shoes of samurai Sakamoto Ryoma, who has to solve a murder mystery and restore his honor.
Like a Dragon 8
Yes, this is what would have been Yakuza 8 had Sega stuck to the original title. Headed to the PS5 and PS4 in early 2024, Like a Dragon 8 will see Kiryu return alongside the first Yakuza: Like a Dragon protagonist Ichiban Kasuga in a turn-based RPG once again. This will be the biggest game in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series to date, according to Sega. A trailer is embedded above. No further details are available at this time.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
This one is what I call Yakuza 6.5. Headed to the PS5 and PS4 in 2023, Like a Dragon Gaiden explains what happened to Kiryu between the events of Yakuza 6 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Without spoiling anything for our readers, Yakuza 6’s ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, with a big question mark surrounding Kiryu’s fate. Gaiden will tie those loose ends before Kiryu appears alongside Ichiban in Like a Dragon 8. Neat! Watch an announcement trailer below.
Got any further questions? Head over to the comments section and we’ll answer them.
