“Thank you deeply for supporting Shenmue 3 all this time,” he said. “We plan to release Shenmue 3 Enhanced on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox and PC this year.” He went on to confirm that all the physical versions are now available for pre-order through the ININ Games store. “I hope Shenmue can once again reach your hearts. Thank you, always, for walking this path with us,” he continued

While the console versions include what you would expect – discs with the game along with physical copies – the Special Edition release for the PC version will only feature a Steam Key, along with a Special Edition box that includes a “The Definitive History of Shenmue” documentary Blu-ray disc, and an art book showcasing the making of Shenmue 3.

PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 will also be getting a Collector’s Edition, which includes all of the Special Edition’s goodies, along with a figurine of protagonist Ryo Hazuki practicing his martial arts skills against a wooden block, and a keychain of Ryo hanging out next to a forklift, among other things.

Shenmue 3 Enhanced was originally unveiled all the way back in August 2025. At the time, Ys Net had confirmed that those who had already bought the PS4 or PC version of the original Shenmue 3 release could upgrade to the Enhanced release through their respective online stores.

As its name might imply, it brings in a number of enhancements, including sharper visuals, smoother performance, 4K textures for more detailed environments and characters, increased NPC density, a classic camera mode as a callback to Shenmue and Shenmue 2, tweaks to the gameplay, improved interactions, and enhancements to the UX. The PC version of the game will also feature support for Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR for high-quality image upscaling.

Shenmue 3, originally released on PS4 and PC back in 2019, picks up the story right where Shenmue 2 left off, with Ryo arriving in Guilin, China in his pursuit of the man who murdered his father. Soon after reaching the town, Ryo rescues a young girl named Shenhua Ling, who bears a striking resemblance to a girl he had been seeing in his dreams. The two then set off on a journey, from Guilin to Bailu Village, and beyond, all while Ryo tries to track down the main antagonist and finally get revenge for his father’s death.

It is worth noting that Shenmue 3 was released almost two decades after its predecessor, with Shenmue 2 having originally come out back in 2001. At the time, the franchise was believed to be dead. However, Suzuki would surprise everyone in 2015 by announcing a Kickstarter to help fund the development of Shenmue 3. The initial goal of $2 million was shattered quite quickly, and it ended up making over $6 million by the time the campaign ended.

As part of their apology, JustAFan1 also posted some evidence of being the actual creator of the fake Shenmue 4 trailer through a link that was essentially a newer, updated version of the trailer. The changes in this new version included new music and footage, as well as their apology.

“I just wanted to set the record straight for all those who think it might still be half real,” they wrote in their apology on the Shenmue Dojo forums. “It’s not.”

“I know many of you will want to hang me for dashing your hopes, but know this was not done out of malice, but love for Shenmue. I realize I went about it the wrong way, and I apologize for that. But I hope all the media attention this has received will do something to convince investors that Shenmue is very much alive and profitable if approached correctly.”

In the trailer itself, they had a longer statement of apology, noting that they are simply a fan of the Shenmue franchise and have no official afficilation with YS Net. “I want to be absolutely clear: I am merely a fan of the series and have absolutely no professional or personal affiliation with Ys Net, nor have I ever had any,” reads the statement. “The creation and release of the trailer, which presented itself as an official piece of promotional material recorded behind the scenes, was a lapse in judgment. I take full responsibility for this action.”

The goal of the video, noted JustAFan1, was to “demonstrate a sustained and substantial market demand and community enthusiasm” for a new game in the franchise. “I meant no harm to Ys Net, its brand, or its loyal fans. My motivation was to champion the series and help encourage its continuation, not to mislead or create distress.”

“While my intent was centered on a positive outcome, the method I chose to achieve it was misleading and unprofessional. I deeply regret creating and sharing information that was not factual, and I understand the negative impact this misinformation had.”

The apology comes in light of YS Net having announced that the studio had nothing to do with the fake Shenmue 4 trailer, and that its use of copyrighted materials also gives the studio grounds to pursue legal action. Whether it will actually pursue these actions in light of the trailer’s creator’s apology is currently unknown, however.

“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.”

In the meantime, Shenmue 3 Enhanced is slated for release on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo platforms, with owners of the title’s original release on PS4 and PC getting the option to upgrade to the newer version. It doesn’t yet have a release date, however.

“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.

Those who purchased the original version on PS4 and PC can upgrade to the new version. Further details weren’t provided, and a release date also remains unknown. As for Shenmue 3 Enhanced’s other features, you can expect improved visuals, more characters in Niaowu, faster load times and 4K textures (leading to more detailed characters and environments).

There will also be Nvidia DLSS and AMD FSR support alongside a classic camera perspective based on the first two games. Various gameplay improvements, such as skipping dialogue and cutscenes, fewer “money barriers” in progression, alerts on things to purchase, and more, can also be expected. Of course, players can turn these off to experience the game’s systems in their original form.

Stay tuned for more details on Shenmue 3 Enhanced and check out our review of the original (which performed below expectations, per publisher Deep Silver).

Recently, publisher 110 Industries seemed to be teasing a collaboration with Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki for the development of Shenmue 4, but it seems that that’s not set in stone. Speaking in an interview with Famitsu (via VGC), Suzuki said that as of yet, right now, there are no concrete plans in place for another new Shenmue game.

While that doesn’t necessarily mean that no talks are ongoing behind-the-scenes with potential partners, it does indicate that fans should keep their expectations in check for now. Meanwhile, Suzuki also added that if there were to be a Shenmue 4, he would want it to have much broader and more mass market appeal than previous games in the series, echoing similar earlier statements.

Of course, the overarching story of Shenmue is far from over, so fans will certainly be hoping that concrete news of a sequel arrives not long from now. At the very least, the hope is that it won’t be another 18 years between instalments.

It seems, however, that series fans might have something to look forward to again soon enough. As reported by Game Rant, publisher 110 Industries – who’re working on upcoming action games Vengeance is Mine and Wanted: Dead – might be hinting at a collaboration with Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki for the development of Shenmue 4.

For context, Suzuki was a part of 110 Industries’ last Tokyo Game Show panel, which stood out to more than a few people, especially given the fact that the two haven’t really had much of a shared history until now. When prompted in a comment on a recent Instagram post to work with Suzuki to make Shenmue 4 a reality, 110 Industries replied, “Guess why he was at our TGS stream.”

If that’s not a strong enough hint for you, not long afterward, in response to a tweet about this very rumour, the publisher responded – completely unprompted – with a simple “No comment.” The two responses don’t necessarily prove anything in a concrete fashion, but one would think that if the publisher had no involvement with the project, it would simply choose to not talk about it.

Of course, given that nothing has been officially confirmed, there’s a good chance that this doesn’t come to anything- but it’s certainly something that’ll give Shenmue fans some hope for the future (though that anime’s been good food for the soul as well).

If Shenmue 4 does get made, it’ll probably need a new publisher. Shenmue 3 publisher Deep Silver has said that the game performed below expectations, and that it isn’t a game with mass market appeal. Suzuki himself has said that if a sequel does get made, it’ll probably need to have broader appeal than its predecessors- read more on that through here.

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— Wanted: Dead | 110 Industries (@110industries) April 7, 2022

Shenmue 3 was something of a dream game announcement. It was revealed at a Sony E3 conference as a Kickstarter campaign, which was funded easily and then eventually got a traditional publisher in Deep Silver. While the game seemed to be at least modestly successful, there were a few issues that rubbed fans and backers the wrong way, one of which was a last minute exclusivity deal with Epic Games Store. Well, it seems that part is over at least.

As announced on the official website, the game will finally be seeing its Steam release later this month. Those who got their Steam keys who backed the game for a Steam version will be able to redeem them when the listing goes live. That will mark exactly one year since its release on EGS.

Shenmue 3 is available now on PlayStation 4 and PC via the EGS with the Steam version coming November 19th. While no sequel has been announced as of yet, there are talks about it, including the director’s thoughts on where to go from here, which you can read about through here.

Ys Net’s Shenmue 3 launched last year after much hype and while a sequel isn’t necessarily coming soon, something else appears to be on the horizon. Industry insider AestheticGamer (known better as DuskGolem on ResetEra) stated that a Shenmue announcement was “100 percent” confirmed for this weekend. He also noted that it was “more for people who care about the story of Shenmue than anything.”

It’s already a given that this isn’t Shenmue 4 (which he clarified in a follow-up tweet). Does that mean a novel or series of novels? Apparently this announcement is “more than a book series or a documentary” and something “entirely brand new.” The really interesting part is that this project has already been funded and won’t head to Kickstarter.

This could be more DLC for Shenmue 3, if not some kind of expansion or spin-off. Several paid DLC released for the title last year but these added more mini-games than anything else. Time will tell what this announcement could be so stay tuned for more details.

In the meantime, check out our review of Shenmue 3 here. It’s currently available for PS4 and PC via the Epic Games Store.

Got a 100% confirm the Shenmue announcement is happening this weekend, I won't spoil the announcement but again it's more for people who care about the story of Shenmue than anything.

— AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem (@AestheticGamer1) September 2, 2020

Just to clarify a few things on the Shenmue announcement:
-It's not Shenmue 4
-It's not a port of Shenmue 1,2, 3
-It's something entirely brand new.
-It's more than a book series or a documentary.
-It's not being kickstarted, already funded.

— AestheticGamer aka Dusk Golem (@AestheticGamer1) September 2, 2020

Shenmue 3 was a dream game for some, and it was something of a dream come true when the game was crowdfunded and actually set to be a reality. It did, however, get marred with various controversies surronding KickStarter backers being unhappy and Epic Games Store exclusivity. But it still came out and, well, the reception was somewhat mixed. There’s also conflicting information about how well the game did, with publisher Deep Silver saying it was below expectations, but its parent company, Embracer Group, saying it did “fine.” Either way, Ys Net wants to continue and apparently is already looking to Shenmue 4, but it could be quite different.

In an interview with IGN Japan, Director Yu Suzuki mulled over various aspects of Shenmue 3 and the franchise’s future. When talking about a potential next title, he said that it would have to be made with more mass appeal in mind. The third title was, in his head, focused on the grand return for fans who had been waiting years for a continuation. To continue to stay in business, they’ll have to change that. Though, what that actually means is up in the air (thanks to Phantom River Stone for translations).

“With Shenmue 3, I really responded from my heart to the voice of the fans. So I wasn’t especially aiming to make great profits. However, to stay in business, next time we have to think about making a product that will sell. But the best way to go about it… well, that’s something we’ve been having numerous deep discussions about.

“How Shenmue 3 was seen by people who don’t know Shenmue is something that, from a business point of view, needs to be understood, right? And so I analyzed what new gamers weren’t happy with, making various educated guesses about what they meant by their comments and giving them my sincere consideration, although it was painful. Making games is my profession, so I’ve looked at things like how much Shenmue diverges from modern trends; which areas should be improved; what the next step should be to make this kind of game, and so on. If people are saying it’s out-of-date, then in what ways: does it just feel that way, or is it really the case? I want to take these on board and make it clear.”

As of now, nothing official has even been announced about another Shenmue, so we may be putting the horse before the cart, so to speak. For now, fans will have to enjoy Shenmue 3 and its DLC support.

Ys Net continues to release DLC for Shenmue 3 with the third pack, Big Merry Cruise, out next week. If you own the Complete DLC Collection, then this DLC will be available immediately. What does it add? What else but more mini-games, this time on board a cruise ship at Niaowu Harbor.

One of the games, as seen in the screenshot below, is a Race Table with turtles which is highly reminiscent of a mini-game in the base title. Others have yet to be revealed but Deep Silver promises “different types of entertainment” along with “exclusive challenges and rewards”. It seems that Ryo will have other business on the cruise ship as indicated by his exploring other parts.

But if you stick with it and complete the new missions, then you’ll have the chance to win new outfits. Shenmue 3’s Big Merry Cruise is out on March 17th for PS4 and PC via the PlayStation Store and Epic Games Store respectively. Stay tuned for more details when it launches.