Yakuza 8, which now has an official name as Dragon 8, will be released in early 2024 and will unexpectedly feature the return of original series hero Kazuma Kiryu.
announced during a Stream from developer RGG StudioThe game will also see the return of the Yakuza: dragon heroes Ichiban Kasuga, Koichi Adachi and Yu Nanba. We saw a trailer featuring Kasuga and Kiryu (who has a new gray haircut) walking around in fictional Kamurocho. The game will be released for PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam.
On stage, the game’s producer and two voice actors appeared to tease the game, saying that this would be the story of both characters, both of whom would lead a party. It appears to be an RPG again, similar to Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon. The team also said it would be the “biggest match yet” in the series. It looks like Kiryu will also introduce a new fighting style to the game.
As for why Kiryu is back, the team was shy, but they said the theme of the game revolved around “the man who carries all the weight of the past on his back, and the man who carries all the weight of the future on his back.”
We’ll get an explanation of how Kiryu can make a comeback in the single, like Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which arrives in 2023.
This will be the first major Yakuza game made without series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, who left the studio to create his own game with NetEase.
Joe Scripps is the executive news editor at IGN. follow him Twitter. Do you have a tip for us? Want to discuss a potential story? Please send an email to [email protected].