Just when you think you’ve seen it all in Yakuza, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has been announced and not only ups the ante but could be one of the most outlandish entries the franchise has ever seen.
Sega unveiled the newest Like A Dragon iteration at the Sept. 20, 2024, RGG Summit show. Its debut trailer feels very much like an extension of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and there were no mentions of DLC or spinoffs—making this a full, mainline entry in the Like A Dragon series arriving on Feb. 28, 2025.
Instead of icons Ichiban Kasuga or Kazuma Kiryu, we are following the escapades of Goro Majima in the next Like A Dragon entry—Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. I don’t know if this is a case of the Yakuza series running out of ideas or if it’s the start of a new wave of innovation and creativity, but we’re all for it.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii looks to feature even more of the over-the-top storytelling the franchise is known for. Not only this, but the Yakuza franchise looks further away from the streets of Tokyo than ever.
The turnaround between Infinite Wealth and Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is quite remarkable. The former only came out on Jan. 26, 2024, meaning 13 months separate the two titles. However, this is nothing new for developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, which is well-versed in the art of speedy game-making.
The developer has handled almost every Yakuza game dating back to the first entry in 2005, and on average, it’s typically one year—sometimes two—before a new entry is released. The incredible aspect of this is the games are always well-received, showing how effective the studio is in its development process.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio clearly looks to be having fun with this recent direction, and it shows through the debut trailer’s content: Ships, swashbuckling combat, pirate hats, pirate ships, buried treasure, naval combat, and more. We expect to learn and see more in the coming months.
