Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza Adventure Expands Beyond Gaiden Scale

Prepare for a swashbuckling adventure! The upcoming Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii promises a significantly larger and more ambitious experience than its predecessor, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. RGG Studio revealed details during RGG SUMMIT 2024, highlighting the game's expansive scale.

Majima's Pirate Adventure Sets Sail in 2025

A Grander Scale for Pirate Yakuza

RGG Studio President Masayoshi Yokoyama confirmed that Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii's story and world will be approximately 1.3 to 1.5 times larger than Like a Dragon Gaiden. This isn't a minor expansion; it's a complete shift in scale. Yokoyama hinted at the game's vastness, mentioning Honolulu City (featured in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth) and other locations like Madlantis, contributing to a significantly larger game volume.

The game's content is equally expansive. Expect the series' signature brawling combat, alongside a wealth of quirky side activities and minigames. Yokoyama suggested the traditional understanding of "Gaiden" titles as mere spin-offs is evolving, hinting that this installment will be a substantial experience comparable to mainline entries.

The Hawaiian setting provides a fresh backdrop, even more so than Like a Dragon Gaiden. Goro Majima, voiced again by Hidenari Ugaki, takes center stage in this unexpected pirate adventure. While the specifics of Majima's transformation remain shrouded in mystery, Ugaki expressed his excitement, though remaining tight-lipped about details.

Ugaki stated, "The game information is finally out, but there's so much more to share. I tend to be talkative, but I've been told to keep quiet, so I'm not fully satisfied yet."

Adding to the intrigue, voice actor First Summer Uika (Noah Ritchie) teased a live-action scene featuring Ryuji Akiyama (Masaru Fujita). Akiyama himself offered a cryptic hint: "There was one interesting recording scene. When I went to the restroom, there was an aquarium with a clownfish... Also, there were many beautiful women at the recording... It's not a dating show, but that scene created an exciting, almost unrealistically popular feeling."

These "beautiful women" may refer to the "Minato Ward girls," who will appear in both live-action and CG form. Ryosuke Horii shared that the auditions for these roles were successful, with many applicants demonstrating genuine love for the series.

For more on the auditions, please see our related article.