Rejoice, "Yakuza" disciples - RGG Studio blesses us with new games

Domagoj Belancic

24/9/2025

Translation: machine translated

The Japanese studio "Ryu Ga Gotoku" (RGG for short) calls for devotion. Fans are blessed with new games in a livestream. Yakuza" fans in particular can rejoice.

It's no secret - I'm a devout follower of the RGG church. At every suitable opportunity, I try to spread the good news of the Japanese cult studio. Why? RGG is one of the most fascinating and coolest development teams around. No other company puts out so many great games in such an incredibly short space of time.

As part of the 20th anniversary of the «Yakuza» series, studio boss Masayoshi Yokoyama invites you to the sacred studio halls for a live sermon - the «RGG Summit». There it will be announced which new titles RGG will soon bless its disciples with.

Let's pray and fight.

«Yakuza Kiwami 3»: an «aggressive remake»

«Yakuza 3» was originally released on the PS3 in 2009. In the third instalment of the Japanese crime drama, ex-Yakuza Kazuma Kiryu finds himself on the picturesque island of Okinawa. There he opens the orphanage «Morning Glory», hoping to leave his dark past behind him forever. However, through a chain of events, the demons of the past catch up with him again.

With «Yakuza Kiwami 3», RGG is now announcing a new version of the island adventure. According to game director Ryosuke Horii, the title is not a remaster. It is an «aggressive remake», almost a completely new game. The first two games in the series, «Yakuza Kiwami» and «Yakuza Kiwami 2», have already received a similar but less radical remake treatment.

The game was developed from scratch - in the latest version of the in-house «Dragon Engine». The visual presentation looks correspondingly fresh. The game location Ryukyu, based on the «real» city of Naha, is barely recognisable.

The character models have also been given a proper upgrade - including motion capture of the main characters' facial expressions. And speaking of characters: the story has also been reworked. There are new cutscenes, additional missions and even completely new characters.

The gameplay also seems to have been reborn. Fortunately, because the original was known for its sometimes very tedious opponents, who blocked all attacks without any problems. The new fight sequences look comparatively more dynamic and faster.

Kazuma even gets a new fighting style - the «Ryukyu Style». This is based on real martial arts from Okinawa and focusses on the use of melee weapons.

The game will also be expanded to include two mini-games. Whereby «Mini» is probably a massive understatement in this context.

«Life at Morning Glory» is a dad simulator designed to add variety to the action-packed spanking gameplay. Kazuma has to look after the children in his orphanage. He cooks for them, grows vegetables, fishes and catches bugs.

In «Legendary Baddie», Kazuma becomes the boss of a female biker gang tasked with protecting Okinawa from «evil» biker gangs. Here, chaotic team battles await that are somewhat reminiscent of «Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii».

«Yakuza Kiwami 3» will be released on 12 February 2026 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC.

«Dark Ties»: new prequel, new protagonist

Even with a «aggressive remake» of «Yakuza 3», RGG is not satisfied. Parallel to «Yakuza Kiwami 3», «Dark Ties» is being released - a spin-off that deals with the story of the villain from the third instalment.

And the best thing about it: This fully-fledged game is available virtually free of charge in a bundle with «Yakuza Kiwami 3». I'm telling you - RGG is the coolest developer studio. Hallowed be its name.

You can see an overview trailer with «Yakuza Kiwami 3» and «Dark Ties» here:

You play as Yoshitaka Mine, who makes life difficult for Kazuma in «Yakuza 3». The game is not set in Okinawa, but in the familiar city of Kamurocho from the predecessors - based on Kabukicho in Tokyo.

The story takes place before the events of «Yakuza 3» and is intended to show Mine's descent from CEO of a successful company into the criminal underground.

The fights in «Dark Ties» differ from those in «Yakuza Kiwami 3». Mine's fighting style is inspired by boxing. In contrast to Kazuma, Mine fights dirtier. He has no moral compass and literally walks over dead bodies.

He can let his fists fly in an epic, illegal fighting tournament, among other things. The spin-off is also packed with other side activities.

«Dark Times» will be released together with «Yakuza Kiwami 3» on 12 February 2026 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC.

Live action mini-movie for «Yakuza Kiwami 3»

To make it easier for new fans to get to grips with the long-running game series, a collaboration project with the Japanese series «Nihontouitsu» will be released before the remake.

In the West, this title will mean very little to most people. In Japan, however, the fictional yakuza story is extremely popular. Among other things, it served RGG boss Yokoyama as inspiration for «Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name».

The actors from «Nihontouitsu» will take on the roles of the protagonists from «Yakuza» for the project. The focus will be on the plot of the first game.

Yasukaze Motomiya plays the ex-Yakuza Kazuma Kiryu. Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi embodies the psychopathic Goro Majima. Kazuhiro Nakaya slips into the role of traitor Akira Nishikiyama and Kenji Matsuda takes part as police officer Makoto Date.

When the project will be released is not yet known.

«Yakuza 0: Director's Cut» makes the leap from Switch 2 to other platforms

The formerly Switch 2-exclusive «Yakuza 0: Director's Cut» will soon be released on other platforms. However, the game has hardly been revised in comparison to the «Kiwami» remakes. In addition to a higher resolution and smoother frame rate, there are some new story sections and cutscenes to discover.

«Yakuza 0: Director's Cut» will be released on 8 December for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

«Yakuza Kiwami» & «Yakuza Kiwami 2» get an update

The two previous remakes, «Yakuza Kiwami» and «Yakuza Kiwami 2» are receiving an update for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch 2. This includes additional language options, among other things. A «Yakuza Series: 20th Anniversary Edition» will also be released, which includes «Yakuza 0» in the bundle.

The update will be released on 8 December for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and on 13 November for the Switch 2.

«Stranger Than Heaven» and «New Virtua Fighter Project»

Think that's all? RGG has two more projects up its sleeve.

A new behind-the-scenes trailer for the previously announced «Stranger Than Heaven» is available at the «RGG Summit», accompanied by a wonderfully jazzy soundtrack.

Does the game have anything to do with the world of «Yakuza»? Given the beautiful graphics, is this RGG's first next-gen-only project? The studio doesn't want to reveal much yet. However, development is progressing well.

At the same time, RGG is also working on a new «Virtua Fighter» game. The studio is revealing even less about this game. There is not even any new image material. Only the assurance that they are still working on it.

At least: A new trailer was released last month that reveals details about the combat system:

The article has piqued your curiosity and you now want to convert to the one true faith of the RGG church?

In this article, I spread the gospel of «Yakuza» games and tell you how to get started in this huge game series:

Domagoj Belancic

Senior Editor

Domagoj.Belancic@digitecgalaxus.ch

My love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.

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