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The 2022 RGG Summit ended with several massive announcements on September 14, with the prominent one being about the Like a Dragon 8 title.
The summit is a yearly announcement of major titles from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, famous for the Yakuza / Like a Dragon franchise. Known as Ryu Ga Gotoku in Japan, the studio has recently shifted its focus to Western shores, thanks to Ichiban Kasuga's seminal outing.
Today's presentation showcased several interviews with voice actors from upcoming titles, while a trio of major announcements concerning these games was also made. Here’s what we know so far about the upcoming RGG games.
RGG Studios dropped several bombshell announcements for the Yakuza / Like a Dragon franchise
1) Like a Dragon: Ishin! is coming in February 2023
A new, extended trailer for the Yakuza title, Like a Dragon: Ishin, was revealed during the stream. In this “Ambush” trailer, the studio showcased several familiar characters who were a part of the Shinsengumi faction, ambushing and slaughtering their foes. Saejima Taiga and Majima Goro mercilessly killed their targets in the trailer.
Ishin takes place in the late 1800s, at the end of the Bakumatsu Period, before the Meiji era. At a time of conflict, Kiryu takes on the role of Ryoma Sakamoto, a historical samurai who was instrumental in the defeat of Tokugawa. The trailer shows off brand-new footage and gives away the release date - February 21, 2022.
2) Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a Kiryu side story
What happened to Kiryu at the end of Yakuza 6? He wanted nothing more than to live a life of peace and forget about all the conflicts he was a part of. That said, he showed up, quite out of nowhere, to be a part of Kasuga's adventure.
This Gaiden (side story) game will cover the time between the 6th and 8th entries of the series. In the trailer, Kiryu spends time at the Daidoji Temple, under a new name - Joryu, when he gets tasked with protecting someone.
The game will be a more familiar Action-RPG story roughly half the size of a regular RGG game. No release date has been given, but it will arrive in 2023 for the last and current-gen consoles.
3) Like a Dragon 8 confirms the return of Kiryu and RPG gameplay
The most prominent announcement had to be the return of Kiryu and Kasuga in Like a Dragon 8. Kiryu will be back as a playable character, and it’s being said that he will also have his own party of characters. The title's RPG gameplay will be back in some fashion as well.
Kasuga and Kiryu will be dual protagonists in the next Yakuza game, but it won't be available until sometime in 2024. Kiryu also has a new look, with striking gray hair. It was a necessary change, but the reason wasn’t made clear. It’s still very much a mystery. Not much is known about the game as of this writing, but it’s on the way, and fans are very much excited.
RGG Summit 2022 featured several memorable game trailers and teasers, and it seems like fans of the Yakuza games will be delighted with what comes their way across 2023 and 2024.
