Apr 252022
This Friday, April 29, Sega is holding an event called Yakuza Super Talk Stage at Niconico Chokaigi 2022.
(Or… the Ryu Ga Gotoku Super Talk Stage, since I assume they’re using the Japanese title.)
Now, I’m not entirely sure when this was announced. I saw someone reference it as a place to potentially see Yakuza 8 news, and then I went and saw it listed as an event on Gematsu.
The important thing is that this presentation will feature director and executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama answering questions and might include information about the future of the series.
So, what could potentially be shown at this event?
(Hey, it worked out well for me when I predicted Kingdom Hearts announcements.)
Yakuza 8
The next mainline Yakuza game feels like a safe bet. Yakuza 8 has been confirmed to be in development as another game following Ichiban, but has yet to be revealed. Since they release Yakuza titles pretty frequently and Yakuza: Like a Dragon came out in 2020, I wouldn’t be at all surprised for Yakuza 8 to have a 2022 release date.
What will they title it in the west, though? Dropping the number for Yakuza 7’s western title makes that quite a question. Yakuza: Like a Dragon 2, maybe?
Anyway, I think there’s a good chance we’ll learn more about Yakuza 8 on Friday.
Kenzan and/or Ishin Remasters
No, I will not let it go.
So many games people said would never be localized are being localized now. RGG Studio knows people want Kenzan and Ishin. The major sticking point is said to be over-saturation. I don’t think the games’ content will actually get in the way like some fans fear. The PlayStation Wrap-Up mysteriously recognized Ishin as Yakuza Ishin. I say it’s a question of when, not if. Could this finally be the time?
A remaster of Kenzan and a remaster or port of Ishin would be the first step toward localization, so I have my fingers crossed for such an announcement.
Judgment PC Ports
Unlike with Kingdom Hearts, where I thought PC ports were the most likely answer and turned out to be completely wrong, I think Judgment and Lost Judgment PC ports are unlikely. The report that the Judgment games can’t be brought to PC due to Takuya Kimura’s agency still remains a rumor, but nothing has really debunked it, either. On the other hand, a new claim is going around that a Lost Judgment PC port exists, but people say the screenshots could easily be from the Amazon Luna version.
But who knows? Maybe it’ll happen. I was completely wrong about Kingdom Hearts, after all.
Mysterious Unannounced Title
Back when they confirmed the development of Yakuza 8, they also said unannounced titles outside of both the Yakuza and Judgment series were also planned. Now, you might think it’s pointless to predict such a game for a Yakuza event, but since I’m counting Judgment as a plausible prediction, I think another spin-off also qualifies. Of course, we don’t know if those unannounced titles are linked to Yakuza or not, so this is probably the least likely prediction.
But who knows?
What do you think will be announced at the Yakuza Super Talk Stage event on Friday? Will any of these predictions actually come true? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments!
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Wouldn’t mind more Yakuza one bit. I only played Yakuza 0 (thanks to your blog, actually) but I liked it a lot. Will certainly try some of the other games in the series at some point.
You definitely should! I’ve only made it up to Yakuza 5 currently (which got put on hold for Elden Ring), but it’s an excellent series all around.