Yakuza Kiwami 3 Marks the End of an Era for the Legendary 21-Year-Old Franchise

Yakuza Kiwami 3 will close a chapter in the 21-year history of the franchise by ending the era of Kiwami remakes. Yakuza, a series of action-adventure and role-playing games centered around members of the Japanese criminal underworld, has become a commercial and critical success over the years. Created by Toshihiro Nagoshi for Sega, the media franchise has spawned nine main games, over a dozen spin-offs with different protagonists or settings, as well as several remasters and remakes. The latest installment in the series, Yakuza Kiwami 3, will have its world premiere on February 11, almost a year since the release of the previous title in the series, which was a spin-off titled Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.

In 2024, Sega announced that since its debut in 2005, the franchise had sold over 27 million units in physical and digital sales. The gaming community’s interest was influenced by the characteristics of the main games in the Yakuza series, which are known for combining dramatic and emotional stories with humorous and exaggerated elements. The unique approach of these games was complemented by the creation of a cast of distinctive and memorable characters. Given the popularity of the series, their further adventures became the subject not only of subsequent games, but also books, radio dramas, and TV series. The fans’ desire to meet their favorite characters again in a revamped graphic version and new storylines is also one of the reasons for the existence of the Kiwami line of the games, which currently consists of remakes of Yakuza and Yakuza 2.

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Yakuza Kiwami 3 Ends an Era in the Series

Just before the release of the latest installment in the series, Yakuza Kiwami 3, the director of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced big news for fans of the Sega franchise. During the live broadcast, Masayoshi Yokoyama explained that there would be no Kiwami versions of Yakuza 4 or Yakuza 5, as Yakuza Kiwami 3 would be the last game in this line of remakes. Instead, the franchise director suggested that the drastic changes and additions to the story introduced in said production would most likely lead to the creation of a new series within the Yakuza games. According to Yokoyama, this choice will be understandable to players after playing Yakuza Kiwami 3, as future events will have “a different meaning” for them.

In his statement, Yokoyama pointed out that the narrative changes introduced in the remake will mean that the plots of Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5 will no longer work in their context. With that in mind, it seems that Yakuza Kiwami 3 will have a significant impact not only on the story within the Kiwami series, but also on the entire franchise. This may also be indicated by the fact that its premiere is accompanied by the release of Dark Ties, a separate and standalone spin-off game. Its description suggests that it is intended to be an action-packed experience filled with gripping boxing-based combat and numerous side stories centered around the character Yoshitaka Mine from Yakuza 3.

RGG Studio’s new projects had already been the subject of much discussion, but not because of changes to the games’ storyline – fans of the series were outraged by the choice of casting an alleged sex offender in Yakuza Kiwami 3. Despite the backlash from fans, the game is also highly anticipated by the community, who want Yakuza 3 to also receive updated graphics and gameplay, which they got a taste of in Yakuza Kiwami 1 and Yakuza Kiwami 2. These two titles have also proven their position in the gaming market and among gamers by securing a release on Nintendo Switch 2 in January 2025. And as Yakuza Kiwami 3 will soon be available to players all around the world, it will become clear what direction Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is heading in and what the future holds for one of the most popular Sega franchises.