Yakuza 8 development footage revealed: Adachi, Nanba, and more returning

While there has been no official trailer or news statement on the same, Yakuza 8 is confirmed to be in development. The reveal came from the YouTube account of Mikuru Asakura, an MMA fighter with 2.6M followers on YouTube.

He confirmed that he will take part in the game, though it is unclear what role he will play.

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Mikuru Asakura’s latest YouTube video shows off him taking part in Yakuza 8

Mikuru Asakura, an MMA fighter for the Rizin Fighting Federation with a record of 9-1, was asked to be a part of the upcoming Yakuza 8, according to a video on his YouTube channel.

In the MMA fighter’s video, CEO Haruki Satomi and RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama personally gave the fighter an invitation to join the game, which he readily accepted.

After accepting a spot in the game, Mikuru is given a tour of the development studio, where a few sneak peeks of the upcoming Yakuza 8 are shown.

It is also worth noting that the title of the game is just a placeholder, and will likely follow the format of the previous Japanese Yakuza titles. For example, in Japan, Yakuza: Like a Dragon was called Ryu ga Gotoku 7: Whereabouts of Light and Darkness.

Kasuga Ichiban can be seen in the YouTube video, only without his afro (Image via Mikuru Asakura/YouTube)

In the footage, Koichi Adachi, Yu Nanba, and Kasuga Ichiban are all shown off, but interestingly enough, Ichiban’s perm press-turned afro is not present. Instead, his hair is more subdued and tied back in a ponytail. It also appeared to show off Mikuru Asakura doing some form of motion capture or getting his image to be used in the game at a later date.

No other announcements have been made for guest characters or party members for Yakuza 8 at this time. Although Nanba, Adachi and Kasuga were all shown in the footage at the Ryu Ga Gotoku studio, there is no confirmation whether they will be playable.

Yu Nanba was also seen in the video, confirming he will at least appear in some fashion (Image via YouTube)

Yakuza 8 is still in development, and SEGA is yet to reveal a release date, title, or any further information. The franchise tends to make announcements in the late summer, around August, so hopefully, fans will not have to wait very long.

While anything else at the moment is pure speculation, it has been confirmed that the next Yakuza game is being worked on and that Mikuru Asakura is confirmed for a role in the game. The imagery of the three main characters from Yakuza 7 can be seen - Adachi, Nanba, and Ichiban - though it is unclear what role they will have in the upcoming title.