Yakuza Kiwami Coming to Nintendo Switch This Year
Yakuza returns to a Nintendo system for the first time in over 10 years.
For the first time in more than a decade, Sega's Yakuza/Like a Dragon series is coming to a Nintendo system. During today's Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, it was announced that Yakuza Kiwami is coming to Nintendo Switch. A remake of the first game in the series, Yakuza Kiwami was originally released in 2016. At this time, it does not seem like the Switch version will have any new features to speak of, but for those that never played a game in the series, this seems like a great opportunity to experience Yakuza Kiwami, and have it in a portable format.
Yakuza Kiwami will be released on Nintendo Switch on October 24th for $19.99. A trailer for the Switch version can be found below.
The announcement of Yakuza Kiwami is quite surprising! While Sega considers Yakuza/Like a Dragon to be one of the company's three pillars, the series has largely avoided Nintendo systems. The first two games in the series received a Wii U release in 2013, but that was never made available outside of Japan. During a 2022 roundtable interview with outlets like IGN and GameSpot, RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama was asked about the possibility of Yakuza coming to Switch. Yokoyama seemed to balk at the idea, questioning "whether our games will run on the Switch" also calling it "kind of a system for a younger audience."
Clearly, Yokoyama and Sega have come around a bit since making those comments! Yakuza Kiwami is hardly the first M-rated game on Switch, as franchises like Resident Evil, Metal Gear, and Grand Theft Auto have all seen games released on the system. Nintendo systems might have had a "kiddie" perception in the past, but that has clearly changed in the Switch era. Of course, there is a logic to the move; the October 24th release date for Yakuza Kiwami on Switch happens to be the same day Yakuza: Like a Dragon will premiere on Prime Video.
It will be interesting to see if Yakuza Kiwami leads to additional games in the series on Nintendo platforms. As Yokoyama implies, more recent games in the series might have trouble running on Switch, but Nintendo does have a new system in development. If Yakuza Kiwami sells well enough, it's possible we could more Yakuza games on Switch 2!
Are you happy that Yakuza Kiwami will be released on Switch? Have you ever played a game in the series? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
