The upcoming Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will significantly surpass the scale of its predecessor, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Read insights from RGG Studio's announcement during the RGG SUMMIT 2024 below.
Majima Embarks on a Pirate Adventure in 2025
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Expands the Franchise
Prepare for uncharted waters as Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes the series in a wild new direction, promising an experience that dwarfs its 2023 spin-off. At RGG SUMMIT 2024, studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama revealed the game's scope will be 30-50% larger than The Man Who Erased His Name.
What began as a compact side story now evolves into something grander. "This isn't just incremental growth," Yokoyama emphasized. "We're charting entirely new territory." In a Famitsu interview, he added: "We're still measuring Honolulu's playable area, including locations like Madlantis. The sheer content volume already exceeds Gaiden."
The game reinvents what fans expect from a "Gaiden" title. Signature elements—street brawls, eccentric minigames, bizarre substories—return with amplified intensity. Yokoyama noted: "The concept of Gaiden as a mere side story is fading. This stands proudly alongside mainline entries."
Hawaii provides a vibrant new playground where series icon Goro Majima (voiced by Hidenari Ugaki) awakens shipwrecked and... somehow becomes a pirate. "I'm bursting with untold details," teased Ugaki, "but the studio's keeping me on a tight leash for now."
First Summer Uika revealed another surprise: Masaru Fujita actor Ryuji Akiyama filmed live-action sequences. "During a bathroom break," Akiyama recalled, "I faced an aquarium with clownfish—then walked out to a room full of stunning women. Felt like a dating show!" These "Minato Ward girls" will appear both in CG and live-action footage, following last July's audition process. "We were thrilled," producer Ryosuke Horii noted, "by applicants' genuine passion for the series."
For deeper insights into the casting process, explore our full coverage below.
