Shenmue 3 developer YS Net – the studio founded by Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki – has issued a statement noting that any trailer that might be making the rounds online for a new game in the Shenmue franchise has nothing to do with the studio. As caught by VideoGamesChronicle, YS Net has said that it has not released any footage or other marketing materials that be connected to Shenmue 4.
“YS Net has confirmed that a video has been posted on social media which uses our company logo without permission, falsely giving the impression that it is an official ‘Shenmue 4’ related video produced by us,” wrote the company in its statement on socail media. “This video has absolutely no connection to YS Net. Furthermore, at this time, YS Net has not released any trailers, footage, or other promotional materials related to ‘Shenmue 4’.”
Further in the statement, the studio has noted that the video claiming to be a trailer for Shenmue 4 has been using materials that are subject to trademark and copyright law. This means that the release of the video “may amount trademark infringement and unfair competition.” This, wrote the studio, gives it grounds to potentially pursue legal action.
“We are currently working with relevant parties and preparing appropriate measures, including potential legal action,” it wrote. “We sincerely apologize to our fans and all related parties for any confusion this may have caused. We continue to ensure the proper anda ccurate dissemination of information, and we ask for your understanding and cooperation.”
Interestingly, while this statement saw quite a few responses on social media praising the studio’s previous works, there have also been a few fans of the Shenmue franchise asking the studio to reconsider any potential legal action it might take. “Yes, the trailer was fake and sparked misleading hopes,” wrote one fan. “However, it also revitalized a momentum, a vision how Shenmue 4 may look like, sparked interest from the media and a broader audience. It was a good thing for the IP [sic].”
While the long-running Shenmue franchise certainly has plenty of fans, the fact that Shenmue 3’s story still left plenty of plot threads dangling means that these fans have been waiting for closure on the story. However, back in 2022, Suzuki had noted that he didn’t have any “concrete plans” for a fourth game in the series. Since this was a statement from 3 years ago, things might have changed and YS Net might even have a new game in the works that it just isn’t yet ready to unveil.
More recently, YS Net had announced in August that it was working on Shenmue 3 Enhanced for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo platforms. The release will also include an option for PS4 and PC owners of Shenmue 3 to get an upgrade to the new version. It doesn’t yet have any release date announced. Some of the features in Shenmue 3 Enhanced include more characters in Niaowu, quicker load times, higher resolution textures, and support for modern technologies like DLSS and FSR.
