Yakuza: Like A Dragon Sequel Confirmed As Series Creator Toshihiro Nagoshi Announces Departure From Sega

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has confirmed that a sequel to last year’s Yakuza: Like A Dragon is in development, and that series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi is officially leaving Sega.

This news comes from a post on the official RGG site celebrating the studio’s 10th anniversary this year. The studio thanked its supporters for their support in the last 10 years and announced that Nagoshi will be leaving Sega.

“As I depart from Sega, I’m also leaving my position as the head of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio [which Nagoshi started],” Nagoshi said. We are grateful to all the Yakuza fans for their support over many years. You have my sincerest and deepest gratitude.”

Yakuza producer Daisuke Sato also made the announcement of his resignation. He said that series producer Masayoshi Yookoyama would succeed him at RGG as studio leader. He revealed that Yakuza Series chief producer Hiroyuki Takamoto, and Yakuza Series chief director Ryosuke Hori will be the new core leaders at RGG.

RGG director Yokoyama explained that when RGG first became established, it was essentially synonymous with Nagoshi, something he didn’t want to rely too heavily on in terms of name power.

“However, I did not want to rely too heavily on that…so although I had little influence at the time, I kept fighting for change,” Yokoyama writes in the post. “Ten years have passed since then, and that resistance I had felt has changed to a feeling of comradery over time and now, I am inheriting the studio from a great director.”

Yokoyama writes later in the post that RGG’s predecessors have passed down “their beliefs and know-how to each and every staff member,” and that this can be witnessed “in the recently released Lost Judgement and will see it in the upcoming sequel to Yakuza: Like A Dragon, which will continue Ichiban Kasuga’s story.”

Sakamoto, Horii and Yutaka Ito are the Lost Judgement director and RGG technical manager. Yakuza series artist Nobuaki Mitake is developing the sequel. Yokoyama specifically is involved in the development of this sequel.

“Whether it’s six months or one year from now, I hope to show you a new Ryu Ga Gotoku title by a new Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio that is different but still the same, and something that will spark a feeling of ‘this is what we are waiting for’ within you,” Yokoyama writes. “I’d like to continue on my life as a video game creator with earnestness.”

The news is about ten months later Nagoshi announced that he has been promoted from Sega chief creativity officer to Sega director of creative.. Reports back in August indicated that NetEase had reportedly entered final negotiations for Nagoshi’s hire (Thanks! gamesindustry.bizThis is a. Despite Nagoshi’s formal departure from Sega, there’s still no official word that he’s leaving to join NetEase.

While waiting for a sequel to 2020’s Like A Dragon, check out our thoughts on the game in Game Informer’sReview of Yakuza: Like a DragonAfterwards, read our opinions on the most recent RGG game Game Informer’sReview of Lost JudgmentLook at Game Informer’An interview with Nagoshi regarding the creation of YakuzaHis life, career, and much more.