6 Places Like a Dragon Should Go to Next

In Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Ichiban Kasuga, Kazama Kiryu, and the gang left Japan for the sunny beaches of Honolulu, Hawaii. Now that developer Ryu Ga Gotoku has made an extended stay in a new country, it could be looking to do so again when the ninth mainline Like a Dragon game eventually launches.

Here are six locations that would be perfect for Ichi and Kiryu to spend a hundred hours or so.

Singapore

This first one is heavily rooted in the series’ fan-favorite Shun Akiyama reportedly being in Singapore during the events following Yakuza 6 (though he denies this). While he featured in a supporting role in Infinite Wealth, letting Akiyama play a larger part in the next game would be a blessing for longtime fans.

Plus, this setting opens the team up to a side game showing what Akiyama’s been up to in the same vein as Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Getting two games for roughly the price of one would be a smart choice for RGG’s aggressive development pipeline.

Brazil

If RGG is looking to recapture the beach magic of Hawaii in another tropical destination that’s popular among Japanese tourists, Brazil is a great choice. It would also be the perfect way to finally give us a soccer-based mini-game in the style of the Setouchi Warriors that Kiryu joined in Yakuza 6.

The densely packed cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo would be fun to explore, especially considering all the eye-catching landmarks. While neither city is close to the Amazon rainforest, it’s easy to imagine part of the main story taking you there to show off even more of the country.

England

Of the six options, this is probably the least likely. That said, you can’t say that having Ichiban join a group of soccer hooligans wouldn’t be a blast. If RGG does decide to visit the UK, the substories have the potential to be legendary.

From a story perspective, they’d need to invent something to get the crew here. Everywhere else has at least a hint of a connection to the series, but England would be an out-of-left-field choice. RGG can make it work, but other locations make more sense.

Florida

Speaking of great substories, the thought of a Florida-based Sujimon system is a goldmine. The developers could expand on the Animal Crossing-like Dondoko Island and let Ichiban build his own theme park to compete with Disney and Universal.

Of course, with Grand Theft Auto 6 taking place in its version of Florida, RGG might want to steer clear for now. If it ever happens, Ichiban in Florida would be a blast.

South Korea

Korea has direct ties to Ichiban and Kiryu’s gang. The Jingweon Mafia has prominently featured in the series. Party members Joongi Han and Seonnee both were involved in the gang to varying degrees and could have unfinished business with the group, giving the RGG developers an easy to move the franchise to Korea.

Most likely, the game would take place in Seoul, which is a city full of things to do. However, the developers could switch things up and take us to somewhere like Busan where we can explore one of the busiest port cities in the world.

Australia

Australia might be the best option of the bunch from a pure fun standpoint. Did you think fighting a tiger or shark was fun? What about a kangaroo? Want a memorable city with a coastline? Take your pick between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, among several others.

RGG can flex its substory muscles with a parody of Mad Max or let Ichiban try his hand at performing at the Sydney Opera House. The country is ripe for adventure. On top of all that, just imagine Ichiban embracing his inner Steve Irwin and getting a Zookeeper job as one of his new fighting styles.

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Of course, those are only a few great options for where the Like a Dragon series could go next. Now that RGG has moved beyond Japan for two games, the world is its oyster. Either way, it’s almost guaranteed that fans will have a massive open world full of exciting adventures for Ichiban and crew when the next Like a Dragon launches.