From slamming gang members with a traffic cone to singing 24-Hour Cinderella at karaoke, the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series has won the hearts of fans all over the world. However, the Yakuza devs don’t believe the series has reached global mainstream status.
During a September 2025 interview with Automaton Media, Yakuza series executive producer Yokoyama Masayoshi, chief profucer Hiroyuki Sakamoto and game director Ryosuke Horii sat down with editors Ayuo Kawase and Koutaro Sato to discuss Yakuza’s status in the West.
Yakuza Reception
When asked about Yakuza 0’s success, and the success of subsequent titles, in the West compared to the time of the interview, Yokoyama said, “I still think it’s mainly people who already like or understand Japanese games who are picking it up. That said, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii actually sold very well in Europe, which was completely different from past trends.”
Automaton Media asked the developers about fan feedback and fan requests. Sakamoto replied, “It’s because we don’t change the games that fans keep having high expectations of us,” while Yokoyama said that they do listen to user feedback, but “only when it applies to services and administrative aspects.”
The editors asked the developers if the “good work sells culture” is something ingrained at SEGA, and Horii said, “I’m involved in development as a game director, but it’s not like we know what will make a game entertaining – all we can do is make something we believe is fun. I feel like the whole team is sincere in that they want to make something they find genuinely interesting and good.”
Yakuza Kiwami 3 Out Soon
Yakuza Kiwami 3 will come out in February 2026 and will include Dark Ties – the spin-off game focusing on the main antagonist, Yoshitaka Mine. Mine’s voice actor, Teruyuki Kagawa, faced backlash after accusations of sexual misconduct in 2022, which he apparently admitted to doing. Despite calls from fans to #REMOVEKAGAWA, neither Sega or Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have responded to fans’ requests.
Kagawa’s controversy comes after he replaced George Takahashi, the former voice for antagonist Goh Hamazaki. A similar controversy occurred in 2016 with Yakuza 4 Remastered, as Hiroki Narimiya, the voice actor for supporting character Masayoshi Tanimura, faced allegations of drug abuse. Narimiya, as a result of the scandal, retired from voice acting. He was allegedly absolved from drug charges after a series of drug tests.
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