The next Yakuza game is called Like a Dragon 8 and will feature dual protagonists, with Yakuza 7 lead Ichiban Kasuga retaining the spotlight alongside a returning Kazuma Kiryu. Details for the new game were unveiled at the Ryu ga Gotoku Summit broadcast on the SEGA Twitch channel. Also featured was remake Like a Dragon: Ishin Kiwami, which will see the much-anticipated Edo period spin-off of the series finally arrive in western territories for the first time since its original 2014 release in Japan.
According to on-stage interviews at the event featuring several of the game’s cast and developers, Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga will share the limelight as twin protagonists for the next Like a Dragon game, which has now officially transitioned from its previous ‘Yakuza’ branding to adopt the long-running Japanese ‘Like a Dragon’ moniker across the board.
Like a Dragon 8 will retain the turn-based RPG game style of the previous entry, and Kiryu is planned to have his own separate party – as well as a brand new silver fox hairstyle. Takaya Kuroda, who is returning once more to voice the iconic character, says that the reason for Kiryu’s new look will be revealed at a later date.
You can check out the announcement trailer for Like a Dragon 8 below:
RGG Studio also revealed that Yakuza 0 actors Riki Takeuchi, Hitoshi Ozawa, and Hideo Nakano – who portrayed Dojima family lieutenants Awano, Kuze, and Shibusawa in the 2015 game – will be joining the cast of Like a Dragon: Ishin for the remake.
Ishin Kiwami, a remake of the spin-off title set in Edo period Japan featuring a cast of characters that bear close likenesses to those of the main Yakuza series, is set for a release date of February 21, 2023, while Like a Dragon 8 is currently scheduled to arrive in 2024.
Also announced at the showcase was the surprise reveal of side story Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, focusing on the events between Yakuza 6 and 7, which is set to release in 2023.
Like a Dragon fans will certainly be overjoyed by this vast wealth of news about the Yakuza series. It remains to be seen whether we’ll see the likes of Ryu ga Gotoku: Kenzan make its way over to the west in the future, but things certainly look bright. In the meantime, why not check out the best JRPGs on PC and our pick of the best crime games for some more great options to keep you entertained?