Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is going to be “our best game yet” with a completely different playstyle, reveal devs 

During the Majima Maji Festival fan meeting held in Tokyo on January 25, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio representative and Like a Dragon series executive producer Yokoyama Masayoshi, game producer Ryosuke Horii, and voice actors Kenji Matsuda and Hidenari Ugaki (who provide the voices for newcomer Jason Rich and Goro Majima respectively) participated in a joint media interview on the new pirate-themed Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii spin-off. With less than a month until the game’s release, they couldn’t help but express their excitement for what could be the most ambitious project in the Like A Dragon/ Yakuza franchise. 

According to Ryosuke Horii, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s exhilarating gameplay makes the game “a masterpiece.” New features like naval battles and improvements to the classic third-person combat are designed to make you feel like a pirate on a treasure hunt. Despite the developers’ struggle in continuing Goro Majima’s story, seeing an amnesiac who is pushing 60 take on the mantle of a pirate captain is quite interesting. 

Yokohama expounds on Horii’s statement, saying the naval aspect is experimental and very different from previous Like a Dragon Games: 

“When we made ‘Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name,’ we knew how the players would react. We knew ‘this part will move them’ and things like that. But this time, we cannot predict what the reviews will focus on. I think Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a title that took on a lot of challenges, so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next year or two. We have confidence in what we’ve created, so we’re at ease.” 

Indeed, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii looks like it has more in common with a game like Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag than a traditional Like a Dragon game, due to its focus on naval battles, crew recruitment, and ship customization. Nevertheless, Yokohama and Horii ensure players that this canon entry will retain that silly and serious balance that all Like a Dragon/Yakuza games have. 

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is scheduled to release on February 21, 2025 for the PC (Steam), PS4/PS5, and Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S.