While it’s already out in Japan, we here in the States are still waiting on the next installment of the Yakuza series. Thanks to our favorite ouster of information, the Microsoft Store, we now know that Yakuza: Like Dragon will possibly launch this year on November 13. It’s also important to note that this game is not just releasing for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X, but also for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. The wacky iteration of the usually serious-tone franchise has done well in Japan thus far, shipping more than 400,000 units within the title’s first couple of months alone. When the game gets a bigger release this year, we expect those numbers to go up exponentially.
However, this wasn’t the only tidbit of information to come out about the game. We also got a brand new trailer, with a rather big surprise. The game will include a fully voiced English cast, which includes acting icon, George Takei. This will also only be the second time ever that a Yakuza title will receive an English dub unless you count the spin-off title Judgement from the previous year. Takei will be voicing the character of Masumi Arakawa, who is essentially a major player in the game’s storyline.
In addition, Sega also announced that there will be three different versions of the game when it comes out. The Day Ichi Edition will be the Day One version of the title which includes the Legends Costume Set that has cosmetics of previous Yakuza heroes. The Hero Edition will have the aforementioned skins and two additional Job Sets, the Devil Rocker and the Matriarch, as well as the Management Mode set that helps out with the mini-game within the main game. Finally, the Legendary Hero Edition comes with everything already mentioned plus a few full in-game sets; the Crafting Set, the Karaoke Set, Ultimate Costume Set, and Stat Boost Set. Each one will cost $59.99, $69.99, and $89.99 respectively.
Sega mentioned back in May that Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be an Xbox Series X launch title, which has lead to some in the community to speculate whether the November 13 date is the alleged launch of the Xbox Series X. Neither Sega nor Microsoft have commented on this, but as of this writing, the Microsoft Store listing is still up, which only further fuels the rumor of the release date. As we mentioned earlier, Yakuza: Like a Dragon plays very differently than it’s predecessors, opting for a turn-based, job system RPG as opposed to the open-world beat-em-up formula the franchise is known for.