Summary
Sega filed a new trademark calledYakuza Wars,which was recently made public. The title hints at a newYakuzagame from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, a Sega subsidiary. Its last game wasLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthin January this year. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has been releasing a newYakuzagame or remake almost every year, so it’s unsurprising if it’s already gearing up for the next title in 2025.
Sega is sparing no effort to boost theYakuzafranchise, nowadays also known asLike a Dragon. In June, aLike a Dragon: YakuzaTV series was announced, set to debut on Amazon Prime Video on October 25. The series will star Kazuma Kiryu, the original main protagonist of theYakuzagames, in a total of six episodes. However, it will feature an original story that promises to capture the essence of the games and, eventually, spark interest in otherYakuzafranchise products.
So, whenGematsureported that Sega had filed aYakuza Warstrademark, it hardly surprised anyone. The trademark was registered on June 26 in Japan but only became public yesterday. TheYakuza Warstrademark was filed under the video game category, confirming it’s related to a game and not other Sega services. This trademark registration, plus Sega’s promise to announce thenextYakuzagame at this year’s TGS, makes it hard not to think thatYakuza Warscould be the name of the next installment in the franchise.
Sega Files the Yakuza Wars Trademark
It’s worth noting that while everything points to a newYakuzagame, it’s unclear whether it’s a mainline entry or a spinoff. The franchise has more spinoffs than mainline titles, each with its own peculiarities and protagonists.Judgment, for example, tells the story of private detective Takayuki Yagami but still maintains the same beat ‘em-up gameplay.Like a Dragon: Ishinis set in the Late Edo period, between 1853 and 1867 in Japan, whileLike a Dragon Gaidencontinues Kiryu’s story after he left the mainline series. Still, it’s possible to findconnections between theYakuzaspinoffs, showing that everything takes place in the same universe.
Ultimately,Yakuza Warscould be many things, from the subtitle of the nextLike a Dragonto a parallel game in a different genre. Interestingly, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios promised that thenextYakuzainstallment would surprise fans. WhenYakuza: Like a Dragonwas released in 2020, players had strong opinions about shifting from a beat ‘em up gameplay style to a traditional turn-based RPG. Still, it showed that Ryu Ga Gotoku isn’t afraid to take risks and innovate when it comes to theYakuzaseries.
Yakuza
Sega’s Yakuza franchise is a series of action-adventure and role-playing games that revolve around characters who are a part of or associated with dangerous criminal organizations.The various games in the series tend to be led by gripping, emotional narratives but are supplemented by hilarious side stories and enjoyable mini-games that give players a welcome break from the drama.
