Alongside continuing the stories of Kazuma Kiryu and introducing the world to Ichiban Kasuga, Sega and RGG Studio has spent about a decade bringing back some of the older Yakuza / Like A Dragon games for modern audiences. Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, out on 12th February, is the latest of those remakes, following on (naturally) from Kiwami and Kiwami 2. But it sounds like, rather than moving onto the fourth game, the end of the Kiwami series is here (thanks, Push Square!).
In a Ryusta TV livestream broadcast earlier today, RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama said that “I think ‘Yakuza Kiwami 3’ will be the last one, and the ‘Kiwami line will come to an end.” (translation from u/Dastanovich on Reddit.)
Of course, that’s far from the end of the Yakuza — after all, we need more Ichiban in our lives (especially on Switch 2) — and Yokoyama elaborates that “I don’t think it’ll continue as the ‘Kiwami’ series anymore. I think a different series will begin. And not something like ‘Like a Dragon 9,’ but rather a new series on a different line, with a different meaning.”
This sort of sounds like new timeline stuff, but it also means that Yakuza 4, Yakuza 5, and Yakuza 6 will be skipping the remake treatment — presumably. But with Yakuza Kiwami 3 reportedly making some controversial cuts and changes to the game’s story, there’s perhaps too much friction between the Kiwami games and the rest of the series.
Yokoyama seems to suggest that’s the case, as he says the decision to stop the Kiwami games “… might be something you’ll understand once you play ‘Yakuza Kiwami 3.'”
Reviews for the upcoming remake have been more on the mixed side than Yakuza is used to. We scored it a 6/10 on Switch 2, for example, with our own Ollie Reynolds calling it “a fair series entry, but one that’s tainted by poor pacing and a recasting controversy that simply didn’t need to happen.”
So, what’s next for Yakuza / Like A Dragon? A break? The next game? RGG is also working on a brand new IP, Stranger Than Heaven, and appears to be unrelated to RGG’s premier franchise.
Are you disappointed we won’t be getting a Kiwami 4? Get brawling in the comments.
