Yakuza Nintendo Switch Release Not Likely According to Series Producer

Gaming Editor

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The Yakuza series, recently renamed to Like a Dragon for Western players, is likely not coming to the Nintendo Switch anytime soon. According to executive producer and Ryu Ga Gotoku (RGG) Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama, the Switch's somewhat family-friendly image is a barrier to the series settling down on the handheld/console hybrid.

"Do we want to put a title like this where we're going around and picking a fight with the world and doing all this Yakuza stuff, on a Switch?" Yokoyama said, according to gaming website GameSpot.

"We still kind of think of ourselves as people of the night world, right? We don't want to be like walking around the day with everybody else," he continued. "Like for us, it's kind of showing this kind of underground feeling. I think the underground kind of feeling is what we want to do."

Yakuza, a PlayStation exclusive series that's grown into something of a powerhouse over the past few years, was previously a smaller, more niche franchise for Western players. Though it has always found a massive fanbase in Japan, it has only been of interest to those outside of Japan recently. The game has arrived to Xbox consoles and PC as well, leaving some wondering why the Switch was barred from being Yakuza territory.

Yakuza/Like a Dragon 8: Kiryu and Ichiban — Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga of the 'Like a Dragon'/'Yakuza' series. The next entry in the series, 'Like a Dragon 8,' will include both heroes in a dual-protagonist narrative. Sega

Like a Dragon 8: The next core entry in the series

While Yakuza won't be coming to the Switch anytime soon, there's more for players to get excited about on the horizon. Developer RGG Studio announced a remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin as well as a new Yakuza spin-off title Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name for PC and console in 2023.

Beyond that, fans can look forward to Like a Dragon 8, which is scheduled to touch down in 2024. The game will include former Yakuza frontman Kazuma Kiryu and Like a Dragon protagonist Ichiban Kasuga in a story where players will switch off between the two characters in an all-new adventure. During its 2022 RGG Summit, the studio called the upcoming title "the largest Yakuza game to date."

For now, the entirety of the translated Yakuza series—save for Yakuza: Dead Souls—is available to play on Xbox, PlayStation and PC. The Judgment series is also expected to have availability on PC in the future.