Ryu ga Gotoku Studios has been very busy over the last several months. Not only did the team drop a massive hit in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth a few months ago, but they released both Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon: Ishin in 2023. You might assume the studio would take some time before starting its next project, but that’s not how RGG works. Early today, RGG announced on its Japanese Twitter account that it’s prepping “an important announcement” from the team for early next week. The kicker is that the announcement is set for April Fool’s Day, meaning this could all be an elaborate hoax.
RGG Studios Teases “Important Announcement” For April Fool’s Day
The translated version of the tweet above reads, “This time, in April of the new year, we will deliver a lot of information on the latest Ryu ga Gotoku goods. Also, will there be an important announcement from Ryu ga Gotoku Studios? Don’t miss it!” Of course, that translation is a little rough, but it gives the gist of the message, which is that RGG might be announcing its next project.
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Now, you would be right to worry that this is an April Fool’s Day joke from RGG. After all, game developers love to create intricate hoaxes to celebrate the day and have some fun with their fanbases. However, RGG has a complicated history with its April Fool’s Day shenanigans. Veteran fans of the series will remember the 2019 trailer RGG dropped on April Fool’s Day that showed the series moving to turn-based RPG combat. At the time, many assumed this was a joke reveal from the studio, and there were even rumors that the popularity of that video caused the team to make a switch to turn-based combat. Of course, that’s not true. The game was already deep into development and RGG had already decided on the switch, but it’s a rumor that’s persisted over the years.
Either way, it’s impossible to predict what direction this “announcement” will go. RGG could be trolling its audience with a new April Fool’s Day joke. Even if it is a joke, we can’t be sure that it won’t eventually become something real. Or, the studio could reveal a completely sincere new announcement, potentially giving fans a look at the next game on the docket. It’s unlikely RGG would announce the next mainline game in the Like a Dragon series, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see something like Judgment 3 or a remaster of the Kenzan spin-off.ย
The Judgment series is in a bit of a weird spot because of tensions between the studio and lead actor Takuya Kimura’s agency. That said, RGG did include Masaharu Kaito in LAD: Gaiden and there were hints to the spin-off in Infinite Wealth. After the success of The Kaito Files DLC, it’s possible Kaito could move into a starring role for the next Judgment. Like Ishin, Kenzan takes players back into Japan’s past for a historical story starring the Like a Dragon cast. Ishin performed well last year, so it would make sense for RGG to dive back into that well.
Hopefully, all of this will be settled next week when RGG Studios drops a new “important announcement.”
