Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have revealed the next Like a Dragon game, and this time, everyone’s favorite Yakuza loose cannon Goro Majima will be the star of it. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will see an amnesiac Majima reinvent himself as a pirate captain searching for a legendary treasure, an adventure that will see him cross swords with Hawaiian pirate gangs. The first trailer doesn’t show much in terms of gameplay, but it does give a good look at Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s cast, the actors voicing them, and a release date of February 28, 2025.
During the RGG Summit, producer Ryosuke Horii explained that the spin-off has a “very different” battle design when compared to the recent mainline games that use a turn-based RPG game. “It’s fast-paced, and it has a lot of Majima’s uniqueness, that’s what we aimed for,” Horii said. Majima will be able to switch between two fighting styles–Mad Dog and Sea Dog–utilizing his signature Yakuza fighting moves and a weapons-based system where he goes all in on the pirate theme.
Additionally, Majima can take part in several minigames, something that has become a staple of Yakuza and Like a Dragon games over the years. Fans of the franchise have been spoiled for choice recently, as RGG Studio has steadily pumped out several games. Since 2020, the developer has released two mainline entries in the series, a remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin, and the spin-off Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.
The most-recent entry, Like a Dragon: infinite Wealth, was released in January and saw current series protagonist Kasuga Ichiban team up with Kazuma Kiryu to explore Hawaii, uncover a major conspiracy, and crack some skulls along the way.
“It’s the best of both Yakuza worlds coming together for a story about life, legacy, and the daunting realities of the world we live in–but, more than anything, atonement and the various forms it can take. It also comes with greatly improved RPG systems that nail the tactical joy of turn-based combat while upholding Yakuza’s identity in remarkable ways,” Michael Higham wrote in GameSpot’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth review.
