Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Will be Much Larger than Like a Dragon Gaiden

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. Details revealed at RGG SUMMIT 2024 paint a picture of a truly expansive game.

Majima's Pirate Adventure Sets Sail in 2025

A Grander Scale for the Yakuza Series

RGG Studio's 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 mere expansion; it's a massive leap in scale. Yokoyama hinted at the game's size, stating (via Famitsu and machine translation), "We don’t even know the exact area of the city itself...Of course there’s Honolulu City, which appeared in [Infinite Wealth], and there are various stages, such as Madlantis, so I think the game volume is much larger than [Like a Dragon Gaiden]."

The increased size isn't the only improvement. Expect a wealth of content, from the series' signature brawling combat to a plethora of quirky side activities and mini-games. Yokoyama suggested the traditional "Gaiden" concept as a smaller spin-off is evolving, "gradually disappearing," indicating this could be a full-fledged title comparable to mainline entries.

The Hawaiian setting provides a refreshing change of pace, even more so than Like a Dragon Gaiden. Goro Majima, voiced again by Hidenari Ugaki, takes center stage in this unexpected pirate adventure. His transformation into a Hawaiian pirate remains a mystery, but Ugaki expressed his excitement while remaining tight-lipped about the details. He stated, "The information about the game has finally been announced, but there are many other elements and there is still a lot of information I want to tell you...I’ve been told not to say anything, so I’m not completely satisfied yet."

Further hints emerged from voice actor First Summer Uika (Noah Ritchie), who teased a live-action scene featuring Ryuji Akiyama (Masaru Fujita). Akiyama added a cryptic comment about an aquarium and "a lot of beautiful women" during filming, fueling speculation. These "beautiful women" may refer to the "Minato Ward girls," who will appear both in live-action and CG form, following auditions held earlier this year. Ryosuke Horii commented on the auditions, stating, "I was glad that many of the people who appeared without knowing what kind of role they would play had a love for the series and a passion to work with us."

For more on the auditions, see our related article!