Alongside the incredible reveal of Like a Dragon 8 earlier today, fans of the Yakuza franchise have been treated to another big game reveal. A spin-off from the Yakuza series is set to be released in 2023. Titled Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, the additional new Like a Dragon title looks set to bridge some narrative gaps for the series’ main man, Kiryu Kazuma.
The somewhat unexpected reveal came earlier today during Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s RGG Summit live stream. In what was a bit of a surprise bolt-on to the news of the next game in the Like a Dragon/Yakuza series proper, the spin-off made its debut with a first-look cinematic trailer. In the footage, viewers are reunited with series protagonist Kiryu, who looks at first to be doing some heavy-duty meditating at the Daidoji Temple. Things soon take a bit of a darker turn though, when it’s revealed that our hero has renounced his former name and all his prior existence, setting up an intriguing premise for the game ahead. You can check out the announcement trailer for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name right here.
While the trailer does take viewers to a very zen-like state of mind, it’s expected that the game itself will bring the high-intensity action and engaging storytelling that the franchise is best-loved for. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name takes place in the Kiryu-based plot hole that currently exists between the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life leading up to Like a Dragon 8. The story will follow what happened to Kiryu during that period of time up until his reappearance in the simultaneously announced Like a Dragon 8. That game was revealed with a shiny new trailer depicting Kiryu (sporting a cool new hairdo) and fellow Yakuza series protagonist Ichiban Kasuga strutting down a neon-lit street in Kamurocho.
It’s expected that Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name won’t be as huge in terms of scale and scope as its counterpart Like a Dragon titles. However, for fans of the beloved saga, the game should serve as a satisfying slice of answers for those who’ve always wondered what happened to Kiryu after the events of Yakuza 6 and his involvement with the Daidoji Family. It’s also thought that the spin-off will be a return to form in terms of the original Yakuza games’ beat-em-up and brawling combat style. This would be in contrast with the turn-based combat system of the more recent Yakuza: Like a Dragon. However, aside from the new trailers, there are precious few other details on the new games as yet, so watch this space.
Basically, it’s been a great day for Yakuza fans, and it’s clear that there’s a lot to look forward to from the long-running series next year. While there’s no specific release window for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name yet, we do know it’ll be available in 2023. The game will be released on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Windows and Steam.
