Yakuzais becoming a huge franchise. Since its humble beginnings on the PS2, the semi-open-world brawler has become a household name in Japan, and has grown steadily in the West following 2017’sYakuza 0. At its recentshowcase, Yakuza developer Ryu Ga Gotuku Studio(RGGS) discussed three new games in the series: a spin-off that takes place betweenYakuza 6andYakuza: Like a Dragon, the eighth mainline entry, and a remake of formerly Japanese-exclusive samurai spin-offLike a Dragon: Ishin!
BringingLike a Dragon: Ishin!to the west is a stark contrast to how RGG and Sega approached the series just 10 years ago. Formerly Japan-exclusive remakesYakuza KiwamiandYakuza Kiwami 2have made their way to the States, and the recentRainbow SixandYakuzacrossoverfurther hints at a desire for increased presence in the west. It seems like RGG Studio is committed to bringing out its full catalog, but one missing entry so far isYakuza: Dead Souls
RELATED:Like a Dragon: Ishin! Is Getting a Western Release
Like a Dragon Goes West
The choice toremakeLike a Dragon: Ishin!was a huge surprise that many did not see coming given the original entry was released in 2014 exclusively for PS3 and PS4 in Japan. It is a non-canonical spin-off set during the age of samurai, starred the series' main protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. The decision to remake it shows a newfound sense of confidence in the strength of the IP, which could be great news for remaking other non-canon spin-offs like the zombie-busting third-person shooterYakuza: Dead Souls.
The recent name change fromYakuzatoLike a Dragonshows that Sega and RGG are committed to developing singularity between global releases for the franchise.Dead Soulswas not a particularly successful game commercially or critically when it debuted on the PS3 back in 2011. Many felt that the controls were clunky and the entire concept of a zombie spin-off in theYakuzauniverse was an odd choice. For a series famed for its beat em' up brawls, outfitting the four playable characters with guns was a stark departure that did not sit well.
However, ifLike a Dragon: Ishin!is as successful as Sega and RGG hope it will be, there’s virtually no reason to not giveDead Soulsthe remake treatment. If the remake ofLike a Dragon Ishin!was motivated byGhost of Tsushima, surely a remake ofDead Soulscould be motivated by games such asBack 4 BloodorDead Rising. It could be RGG’s big push for multiplayer content, allowing fans to explore theLike a Dragonuniverse in a completely new way by shooting zombies with their friends as they explore the ruined streets of Kamurocho. Sales numbers have shown that audiences in the west have a stomach for theYakuzaseries and a fondness for taking down hordes of zombies, so it would be a fitting project.
RGG Studio knows thatYakuzafans like playing as Kiryu, so giving people another chance without having to worry about the franchise’s lore is another win. Since every mainline game in the series is now playable in the west, and a formerly Japanese-exclusive spin-off is making its debut soon, one might assume that ifLike a Dragon: Ishin!is successful commercially and critically,Yakuza: Dead Soulscould finally get its proper moment in the spotlight.
Like a Dragon: Ishin!releases May 23, 2025, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
