Masayoshi Yokoyama

To no one's surprise, work is already underway on the next Like a Dragon game, with developer RGG Studio announcing that it's in the process of hosting character auditions. The team goes on to confirm that the next title is not Kiwami 3 — a remake of Yakuza 3, which originally released for the PS3 all the way back in 2009.

The latest update, version 1.20, has been rolled out for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the popular role-playing video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. This Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth update aims to address various issues and errors within the game, enhancing the overall gameplay experience for players.

The head of Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio says he wants to make Yakuza Kiwami 3 at some point.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth just released early this year, but it seems the next entry in what was previously known as the “Yakuza” series is already in full swing. As spotted by Gematsu, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced auditions for the next Like a Dragon game during their latest video update. We don’t know the title of the next Like a Dragon yet, but series director Masayoshi Yokoyama did provide some clarification, saying Like a Dragon: Kiwami 3 (a remake of the third entry in the series) isn’t the next thing on the docket, although it is quite likely to happen someday.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the team behind the longstanding Like a Dragon franchise, has expressed interest in remaking Yakuza 3, the franchise's third mainline entry that originally released in 2009. The studio had previously remade the first two games of Sega's celebrated Yakuza series, Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Ever since, fans have been eager for confirmation of a potential Yakuza 3 remake.

Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (RGG Studio) are gearing up for a new installment in the Like a Dragon series, revealing today that the next installment will begin its cast auditions soon and and that it won't be Yakuza Kiwami 3.

Though Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio delivered two solid Yakuza remakes in the form of Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, contrary to what many had expected (and hoped for), the studio did not keep that remake train going. Of course, we did get Like a Dragon: Ishin! last year, but those who’ve been waiting for a Yakuza Kiwami 3 (or Like a Dragon Kiwami 3, as it would now be known), have been left wanting, with RGG Studio seemingly content to have remasters available for the series’ third, fourth, and fifth numbered entries.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio said last week that it would be making an “important” announcement related to the Like a Dragon series today, with many expecting that new details would be shared in the series’ next instalment- which is sort of what’s happened. During the recent episode of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio TV, though a new Like a Dragon game wasn’t announced, RGG Studio shared the first behind-the-scenes update on it.

Publisher SEGA and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio will hold cast auditions for the next Like a Dragon title, series director Masayoshi Yokoyama announced on the latest episode of “Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio TV.”

With Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth now a couple months old, there isn’t much information available on what developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is working on for the future (a rare occurrence for the developer), though it seems that might change soon.

The Like a Dragon series “absolutely must” continue using its bespoke Dragon Engine, but staff must also learn about alternate options, the series’ technical director says.

The director of Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio says he’s surprised at the initial sales pattern for the latest game in the series, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has seen great success since launching this past January, selling over one million units in its first week. This is despite other big-name games like Tekken 8 and Persona 3 Reload arriving around the same time. However, according to studio director and series producer Masayoshi Yokoyama, it’s a speed that the developer has “never experienced before.”

On January 4, I received an email I had both been anticipating and dreading for months. My copy of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, one of my most anticipated games of 2024, had dropped into my inbox. Usually, that moment would give me a jolt of energy. I love critiquing games that have real substance, and I was still chewing on 2020’s unforgettable Yakuza: Like a Dragon several years later. That RPG tells a thematically rich story about an unlikely hero finding his confidence amid a quest to take on Japan’s criminal underworld.

In the lead-up to Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s launch, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio made it abundantly clear that the RPG was going to be its biggest, most ambitious game to date, and in the immediate aftermath of its release, it looks like the game is enjoying the sort of success the developer would have hoped for. In addition to receiving widespread acclaim from critics, Infinite Wealth also broke the series’ peak concurrent user count record on Steam upon launch, and as per Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, was generating similar interest in leading up to its release as well.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has earned the largest launch on Steam for any game released by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.

It’s easy to get breathless talking about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Prior to launch, Masayoshi Yokoyama, the head of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, made bold claims about just how much time players would spend in Like a Dragon: InfiniteWealth.Yokoyama claimed that “if you attempt to clear everything, it may never end.” Obviously, that was hyperbole, but just how much content really is in the game? The series is known for its lengthy, narratively rich main campaigns, dozens of substories, and deep mini-games such as Dondoko Island. Now that we’ve had a chance to see the conclusion to Ichiban and friends’ latest adventures through the tropical island of Hawaii, we can fill you in on how many hours you can expect to put into this title.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio was quite active in 2023 with the releases of Like a Dragon: Ishin! and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, while the studio is also gearing up for the imminent launch of the series’ next mainline instalment in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. As you may have guessed, however, there’s plenty more in the pipeline as well- some of which we’ll be hearing about in the coming months.

It’s not enough that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has Dondoko Island, arcade games, randomly arranged dungeons and numerous other activities, but there’s also Sujimon. The Pokemon-like activity involves capturing Sujimon throughout Hawaii, training them and fighting in 3v3 battles.

RGG Studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama hints that another Like a Dragon game could be announced next year. In an interview with Famitsu, Yokoyama tells fans to look forward to a "big announcement" in 2024, prompting speculation on what the next instalment will bring.

Ahead of the upcoming launch of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio Director Masayoshi Yokoyama was featured in an interview published on Automaton Media. Yokoyama, a writer on Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, revealed some interesting facts about the game.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s output in 2023 has been pretty impressive, with Like a Dragon: Ishin! andLike a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name garnering acclaim. Both titles made their way to Game Pass, the latter even launching on day one. However, the studio’s next mainline title, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, won’t be following suit.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s titles tend to be quite long, not counting Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the team’s next mainline title, is no exception, with Honolulu City over three times bigger than Yokohama from Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

The Like A Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series is more popular than it's ever been at the moment, and its newfound success has convinced developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios to return to its older and more niche titles and give them a fresh coat of paint. Like a Dragon: Ishin came to the West for the first time earlier this year, and Yakuza: Dead Souls fans had hoped the zombie-slaying spinoff would get the same love down the road.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth's new trailer has reignited hope among fans that Kiryu might one day find love - and with one particular person.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, essentially Yakuza 8, features a classic role-playing game job system that lets players become a samurai, surfer, housekeeper, and more.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be the longest Yakuza game to date, with the boss of developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio saying "if you go at it continuously, you’ll get sick".

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be a «monster-class game» longer than any previous game in the series.

Players can get a taste of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the next chapter in the franchise once known as Yakuza, by completing the recently released Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and accessing the demo added to the game by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.

There is always going to be a question about “how long video games should be, and everyone will have a different answer to things. Some will say that if they’re “too long,” people won’t finish them, and that can be true depending on the game and the player. But don’t tell Atlus that, okay? In contrast, if a game is “too short,” many people may think they’ve wasted their money, which is not what anyone wants. So, with SEGA and the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, you might be surprised that this spinoff title will be the longest game in the franchise so far.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has confirmed that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be the longest game in the Yakuza series so far.

People can’t seem to agree on whether or not they want their games to have a gargantuan amount of content, but the Yakuza / Like a Dragon series has usually been one to consistently deliver meaty, lengthy experiences. And though the recently-released spinoff title Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was obviously a shorter game than most of its siblings, the series’ next mainline instalment, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, isn’t going to follow suit.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be the longest Yakuza game to date.

The soundtrack for upcoming release Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth has leaked online, following the release of Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name yesterday.

Yakuza spin-off Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was originally planned as a downloadable expansion and only took around six months to develop.

Like a Dragon developer RGG Studio has revealed Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was created in half a year, as it was originally conceived as DLC for the next main entry to the series, Infinite Wealth.

Developing games can be a major investment, requiring not only quite a bit of money, but also a lot of time, though it seems RGG Studio has figured out how to circumvent the latter in impressive fashion. The Yakuza series (or Like a Dragon, as it’s known now) has always been known for how frequently it puts out games, and one of its upcoming releases, it turned out, was in development for a surprisingly short duration.

Sega Sammy's newest financial report shows a decade-best performance across key categories. 

A little knowledge can be worse than no knowledge at all. I know a little about the Yakuza series, having reviewed the 1980s-set Yakuza Zero for this very parish in 2018, and tried a bit of 2019's turn-based battler Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Fast-forward to 2023, and all Yakuza games are now Like A Dragon games, including the forthcoming Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which is an... Animal Crossing game, actually? With skateboarding? I'm still getting my head around the existence of a zombie spin-off, Dead Souls, to say nothing of the samurai-era Like A Dragon: Ishin. And then there's the inter-quel Like a Dragon Gaiden, due this November, which seems like a relatively straight-laced delve into the past of original protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. Phew, it's just as well Ed Thorn wrote that guide to the order you should play the Yakuza games in.

Like a Dragon: Gaiden will launch without an English dub.

Xbox Game Pass members can expect to see a whole bunch of new games added to the service soon, including two Like a Dragon games.

Sega’s Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon: Ishin are coming to Xbox Game Pass.

Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio will hold a digital product showcase next week.

We’re still a few months away from seeing the eighth mainline entry in the Like a Dragon series. Fortunately, it won’t be long before players meet Kazuma Kiryu again in the spinoff, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. That’s right, Kiryu did such a thorough job erasing his name that he goes by the unsuspecting name of “Joryu”. All the while, he’ll find himself once again embroiled in threats, violence, and underworld intrigue. But those who manage to endure these trials will get treated to a Special Trial Version of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Sega’s upcoming mouthful of a Yakuza spinoff, Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, will bring back Kazuma Kiryu for a new adventure set between the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and the upcoming Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

In addition to revealing a new trailer for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio confirmed that it would include a “special trial” for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Check out a new cutscene below where Kiryu reunites with Ichiban Kasuga.

A demo for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be included with Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.

SEGA has been pretty high on their Yakuza-themed series for many years now, and even with its rebranding, they’re going full force to let fans know that everything they enjoyed about the franchise is still there, just under a more “friendly name.” The next one that will arrive is Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which is coming out in November. The title will continue the mainline story in various ways, and SEGA decided that it would be best to drop a developer update to help fans know what is coming not only this year but next year as well.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name includes a special trial version of 2024’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, developer RGG has revealed.

A new trailer for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name just dropped, and everyone's very concerned over Kiryu breaking down.

A “Special Trial Version” of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be included with Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, publisher SEGA and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has published a new overview trailer and developer update for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's director, Masayoshi Yokoyama, has revealed that, despite his conversation with Ichiban in a recent clip for Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Kiryu hasn't actually proposed to anyone before, which means he might still be a virgin.

A lead Yakuza dev has played down Kiryu's comments in a past trailer, and series fans can't handle it.