Earlier this year, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku released Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth to rave reviews. The latest in the long-running Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series continued the story of both Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga, leaving the door open for further adventures. However, RGG recently took to the stage at Anime Expo and teased that fans would “be surprised” by what the studio is working on next. You might assume that means the team is working on a new franchise, but fans at the event later clarified that RGG was talking about the Like a Dragon series.
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Video Games Chronicle was the first to report the story, though the information comes from Twitter user TheYakuzaGuy who was at the event. They reported that RGG said, “We can’t tell you what kind of game it is but I will tell you…you will be surprised.” As mentioned, most fans’ first thoughts were that RGG might be taking on a project similar to First of the North Star: Lost Paradise, its 2018 adaptation of the fan-favorite manga. However, knowing that this tease is referencing the Like a Dragon series makes things a little more complicated.
There are several possibilities for what this surprise might be. We know that RGG does have plans to release Yakuza Kiwami 3 eventually, but that doesn’t seem to fit the bill for a surprise. One remake that would be a shock would be if RGG revisits Yakuza: Dead Souls. The developer has gone back to side projects in the Yakuza series, but Dead Souls is probably the strangest side project the team has taken on. It’s also possible that RGG is going to change up the core gameplay in the next Like a Dragon game. It wouldn’t be the first time RGG switched genres completely, though changing from the turn-based RPG combat in Infinite Wealth after only two games would be a strange choice for the team.
While all of those options would undoubtedly be a fun direction for RGG to take, it’s impossible to say what’s coming next. It’s also worth noting that we’ll likely be waiting until at least next year before the developers reveal this new project. Remember, we waited four years between the last two mainline entries, so unless this is a side game, it’s probably not launching until 2028. That said, RGG did say this would be a surprise, so maybe they’re speeding up the cadence of mainline Like a Dragon releases.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms.
