It’s an odd addition, for sure, especially since Majima has been more of a tweener in more recent entries. Nevertheless, his concept art looks pretty good – time will tell how he and the other villains actually factor into this DLC stage, and whether they’re a match for Joe Musashi.

The standalone pricing for the Sega Villains Stage DLC is unknown, but it’s included in the Deluxe Edition. Stay tuned for more details on its release date in the coming months (perhaps at The Game Awards 2025).

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Check out our review for it here – we gave it a nine out of ten, praising the art style, combat and stage design.

In a video shared on Twitter, Yokoyama briefly spoke about the studio’s plans leading up to the series’ 20th anniversary a year from now, which, in addition to several announcements and updates, will, of course, also include the launch of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii in February.

“19 years have passed since the first game in the series was released in Japan, and today marks the start of the year leading up to the 20th anniversary,” Yokoyama said. “First, early next year on February 21, 2025, we will release Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.

“Set in Hawaii after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the title sees the series’ famous character, Goro Majima, going on a rampage as a pirate. It features a refreshing story and exhilarating battle action that can be enjoyed even if you have no experience with the latest or previous titles.”

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio likes to release new games in the Like a Dragon franchise at a pretty steady pace, so it wouldn’t surprise us to see the developer announce more upcoming instalments in the coming months- especially to celebrate the series’ upcoming 20th anniversary. Perhaps another remake might also be on the cards?

For now, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is due out on February 21 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Happy Like a Dragon Day!🐉

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio Director and Executive Producer Masayoshi Yokoyama would like to share a message to commemorate this occasion🎉

Thank you continuing to support us and the series🙏 pic.twitter.com/mCNJ9nGg2s

— RGG Studio | Like a Dragon & Yakuza Series (@RGGStudio) December 8, 2024

Like a Dragon: Yakuza will be split across two timelines – 1995 and 2005 – with the former seeing a young Kazuma Kiryu falling into the Japanese criminal underworld, and the latter seeing him released from prison after an extended period of incarceration.

Though the game’s core premise and its timelines hue closely to the game franchise’s first instalment, Amazon says the upcoming adaptation will tell stories “that games in the past have not been able to explore.” Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of what it will have in store. 

Like a Dragon: Yakuza is set to premiere on October 24, with its first three episodes dropping together, and the remaining three arriving at a weekly clip afterwards. 

That’s as per series director Ryosuke Horii and lead planner Hirotaka Chiba, who said in a recent interview with Automaton that the Like a Dragon series, as it’s now known, is going to continue telling stories focused on “middle-aged guy things”.

“We are middle-aged guys ourselves… so I guess that’s the kind of target audience we’re going for, probably,” they said.

Horii went on to talk about how it’s this very aspect that gives the series a unique identity. “I think that this is precisely one of Like a Dragon’s selling points. In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, everything starts with three unemployed middle-aged guys being like ‘Let’s go to Hello Work.’ They have a different air about them than a group of young heroes would, complaining about back pain and the like. But this ‘humanity’ you feel from their age is what gives the game originality.”

Chiba chimed in with an example as well, pointing to a conversation in the game where a character mulls over whether or not to drink beer on account of being worried about his uric acid levels.

“For example, there’s a conversation where Adachi is conflicted about whether he should drink beer or not because he’s worried about his uric acid level,” he said. “We’re making the hearty talks of middle-aged dudes our identity, rather than youthfulness.”

Horii went on to add that though the Like a Dragon series has certainly seen an influx of new fans and demographics, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio doesn’t intend to change the way it makes its games.

“We have had a large increase in new fans, including women, which we’re truly happy and grateful for,” he said. “However, we don’t plan to do anything like deliberately changing conversation topics in order to cater to new fans. That would make us unable to keep talking about things like uric acid levels… [laughs]”

Similarly, Horii says that though the franchise has found a much larger international audience in recent years, that hasn’t impacted the way RGG Studio goes about its creative process.

“Our policy as creators has not changed,” Horii explained. “We are very grateful for the recognition we have received from overseas fans and new, younger players, but we will not change our policy of creating games, which is based on our personal ideas of what’s fun.”

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio will be announcing its next game later this month at Tokyo Game Show, so stay tuned for updates on what the developer has planned next.

Now, the first trailer for the series has been revealed, offering us our first look at Ryoma Takeuchi as Kazuma Kiryu, what Kamurocho will look like, and more. As per the trailer’s YouTube description, the series is going to tell an original story that we haven’t experienced in past Yakuza or Like a Dragon titles. 

“The series depicts the lives of fierce yet passionate gangsters and people living in a huge entertainment district, Kamurochō, a fictional district modeled after the violent Shinjuku ward’s Kabukichō, that acts as the backdrop of the gameplay,” the description reads. “Like a Dragon: Yakuza showcases modern Japan and the dramatic stories of these intense characters, such as the legendary Kazuma Kiryu, that games in the past have not been able to explore.”

Like a Dragon: Yakuza premieres on Amazon Prime on October 24. It will consist of six episodes, with the first three premiering together. Meanwhile, Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio will announce its next game at Tokyo Game Show this September. Read more on that through here.

It’s safe to assume that speculation on what the game will be will be running rampant until then. With Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth having released only earlier this year, the chances of the series’ next major instalment being announced might be relatively slim, though conversely, there’s a high likelihood that we instead see the announcement for Lost Judgment’s long-awaited follow-up.

It’s worth mentioning, of course, that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has been holding auditions for roles in the next Like a Dragon game. Interestingly enough, earlier this month, the developer teased that its next game was going to “surprise” people, so there’s that.

Tokyo Game Show is scheduled to run from September 26 to 29.

Described as an original story based on the games, the live action series – titled Like a Dragon: Yakuza – will star Ryoma Takeuchi as Kazuma Kiryu, with Masaharu Take and Kengo Takimoto serving as directors and Sean Crouch and Yugo Nakamura having written the story and screenplay. Yasuhiro Yoshida and Kana Yamada are credit for the Japanese screenplay, while Erik Barmack, Roberto Grande, and Joshua Long are named as executive producers.

“I am truly honored to be given the opportunity to play the role of Kazuma Kiryu, a beloved character and the game series,” said lead actor Ryoma Takeuchi. “I strongly felt that I was willing to put my life on the line. Audience will enjoy the show’s human drama and conflict that unfolds around Kazuma Kiryu. Moreover, please take a look Kiryu’s intense fighting scenes with the Dragon tattoo on his back.”

“I have poured out my heart, soul, and the experience that I have garnered over 35 years into Like a Dragon: Yakuza,” said director Masaharu Take. “The unbridled passion, talent, and countless hours of efforts from the entire team have helped bring this spectacular story to life in the form of a riveting series that will be launched this year, the year of the dragon. Please look forward to Kazuma Kiryu, played by Ryoma Takeuchi.”

“We are thrilled and extremely excited to announce the Amazon Original action-drama Like a Dragon: Yakuza, based on the popular Japanese game series,” said James Farrell, Head of International Originals, Amazon MGM Studios. “The unfettered appeal for Japanese content from within Japan and other parts of the world has been growing exponentially. While Prime Video Japan continues to offer a variety of content across genres, adapting an internationally popular game franchise that has such deep resonance and layered characters presents a unique charm and makes for an extremely compelling watch. We are committed to augmenting our content library and are confident that Like a Dragon: Yakuza will strike a chord with audiences all over the world.”

Like a Dragon: Yakuza will consist of six episodes, with the first three episodes premiering on Amazon Prime on October 25, and the remaining three on November 1.

They’ll also participate in various activities to help promote the title before its release. Applications must be submitted by May 31st, 11:59 PM JST – those who pass will receive contact on June 14th. Auditions are only open to residents in Japan. The process is somewhat similar to past titles, including the recent Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which held auditions for performers to portray its Cabaret hostesses.

Though the developer has expressed interest in developing Like a Dragon Kiwami 3, there’s no timeline for the series’ latest title. Leaker Midori reported that Sega wanted to turn Like a Dragon into an annual franchise alongside Persona and Sonic the Hedgehog, though this includes “other media.” Head here for more details, and stay tuned for updates on the next game.

When another user called them Sega’s “Big 3”, she replied, “This is correct information. Like a Dragon, Persona and Sonic are called the Main Pillar Brands at Sega.” She also clarified that it was Persona and not Shin Megami Tensei in a broader sense. However, “There are plans to expand the Shin Megami Tensei brand, and Sega is confident in the upcoming Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance.”

Each IP will reportedly receive new content yearly, with “other media” referring to crossovers and collaborations with other titles. There are even “early plans” for collaborations in upcoming titles like the Crazy Taxi reboot, allegedly a live-service/games-as-a-service title launching in 2027.

As for its big three, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio will host auditions for its next Like a Dragon, and indicated that Like a Dragon Kiwami 3 would happen “sooner or later.” Persona 6 is rumored to launch next year and features a semi-open world with more open Social Links. Alongside the recently announced Sonic Rumble, a remake of Sonic Heroes and a Sonic Frontiers sequel are reportedly in the works. Stay tuned for more details and potential announcements in the coming months.

The current plan at Sega is to make Like a Dragon, Persona and Sonic annual franchises through new titles, remakes and remasters, DLC expansions and other media.

I think this is unannounced information.

— みどり (@MbKKssTBhz5) May 10, 2024

This is correct information.

Like a Dragon, Persona and Sonic are called the Main Pillar Brands at Sega.

— みどり (@MbKKssTBhz5) May 10, 2024

Persona.

— みどり (@MbKKssTBhz5) May 10, 2024

But there are plans to expand the Shin Megami Tensei brand and Sega is confident in upcoming SMTVV title.

— みどり (@MbKKssTBhz5) May 10, 2024

There will be new content for each IP every year.

— みどり (@MbKKssTBhz5) May 10, 2024

Yes.

— みどり (@MbKKssTBhz5) May 10, 2024

And there are early plans for main pillar IPs to have collaborations in upcoming Sega GaaS titles including Crazy Taxi.

— みどり (@MbKKssTBhz5) May 10, 2024

Specifically, the studio announced that it will be holding casting auditions for the next Like a Dragon game soon, similar to the live-action hostess casting auditions that were held for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, with full details set to be revealed “in the near future” (via Gematsu).

What exactly this next game will be wasn’t revealed, but series director Masayoshi Yokoyama confirmed that it won’t be Like a Dragon Kiwami 3– though interestingly, Yokoyama added that the frequently requested remake is “definitely” going to get made “at some point.” Read more on that through here.

Recently, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio technical director Yutaka Ita said in an interview that the developer would continue to use its internal Dragon Engine for Like a Dragon games, despite having used Unreal Engine 4 for Like a Dragon: Ishin!

Like a Dragon’s last major release was, of course, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which released earlier this year to widespread critical acclaim. The game sold over 1 million units in its first week, with Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio deeming its sales “incredibly strong”.