Yakuza is a name that has become well-known in Western territories like the US, but in Japan it is traditionally called Ryu Ga Gotoku, which roughly translates to “Like a Dragon.” Now, with the announcement of three new Like a Dragon games, it looks like the Yakuza name has been retired for good.
In a recent roundtable interview with IGN, RGG studio boss Masayoshi Yokoyama discussed moving away from the Yakuza moniker, explaining that the move was actually tried with Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
“B [Yakuza 7], it was Yakuza: Like A Dragon, so we thought if we suddenly released this game out of nowhere without any Yakuza in it, people would be like, ‘What is this game? What’s going on with this?’… The response to Like A Dragon seemed pretty good, so that gave us the confidence to put out ‘Yakuza’ and just go straight ahead with Like A Dragon,” Yokoyama said.
When asked if there was a thematic reason behind the change, Yokoyama replied that the name doesn’t really make sense in games like Isshin, which takes place in the 19th century.
“[S]Also story-wise, we’re talking about a criminal underworld, but we’re not talking about yakuza, really,” Yokoyama said. “So it just makes sense not to include them in the name. If we keep the accent, we’ll be yakuza: Ishin! This is not Yakuza: Isshin! That’s not what it’s about. So like a dragon: Isshin! more logical.”
The Yakuza name has been going strong since the PS2 version of the series first came to the US, known as “GTA in Japan”, it was initially a flop, but later found popularity thanks to Yakuza 0. For many fans, the Yakuza name had long since ceased to be relevant, but it was rooted enough that it managed to stick around.
The name change coincides with the dawn of a new era for RGG Studio as well, which recently saw the departure of Toshihiro Nagoshi and several senior leaders. With Yokoyama now in full charge, RGG Studio is preparing to release three new games in the series, including Like a Dragon 8 and a Kazuma Kiryu-focused spin-off called Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. In addition to the name change, RGG Studio is also exploring the possibility of transferring the series to Unreal Engine 5.
The next game in the series is Like a Dragon: Ishin, a samurai-themed remake of the spin-off set in 19th century Japan. You can read our full impressions of Like a Drago: Ishin here, with a release date set for February 2023.