RGG Studios has been on fire as of late. The Yakuza series, now redubbed Like a Dragon under new protagonist Ichiban, has become one of the most quoted and meme’d properties in the West ever since the release of Yakuza 0 and they’ve taken that ball and run with it, developing game after game that have been pretty successful in the grand scheme of things and even spawning a side series in the Judgement line of games with the same engine. Now, as Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth looks to release next year it seems that RGG may have another big announcement in 2024.
The report by Famitsu may be a bit difficult to read, as it is entirely in Japanese, but within that interview RGG Studio Director Masayoshi Yokoyama hopes for another big announcement in the coming year, which should be a big treat for Yakuza series fans.
This news might be somewhat expected by RGG faithfuls, as RGG Studios try to release a new game every year or at least every other year, but with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth likely serving as a sendoff for series mainstay Kazuma Kiryu (whether or not that’s permanent is up for debate) there will likely be a small break from the mainline series of games, which means that the big announcement could be a sequel to the Judgement series starring immensely popular Japanese actor Takuya Kimura as main character Takayuki Yagami.
Though Kimura’s popularity does come at a price, there have infamously been several disputes and controversies surrounding Kimura’s likeness, such as his inability to sing karaoke in the games due to copyright over his voice. Most egregiously would be the controversy surrounding Kimura’s agency Johnny’s which is an entire other can of worms. So this announcement could possibly be an entirely new Yakuza franchise series, sidestepping Judgement altogether in light of the many troubles that series has behind the scenes.
But regardless, I’m sure every RGG Studios fan will await whatever the studio announces with bated breath as they anticipate the latest entry into a very beloved class of games.