Masayoshi Yokoyama, Studio Director at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, has revealed that Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is set to be the final entry in the series’ Kiwami lineup of titles, potentially kicking off a brand new offshoot of games.
Speaking during a livestream interview, Yokoyama-san commented, “I think Yakuza Kiwami 3 will be the last one, and the Kiwami line will come to an end,” adding that he does not see this line of titles continuing. As for what’s next, Yokoyama mentioned “a new series on a different line, with a different meaning,” which at this point could mean anything.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 makes a number of major changes to the game’s ending, and while I won’t spoil them (they have already leaked online, so if you are curious, you can search for yourself), it has a massive knock-on effect as far as the establish canon for Yakuza 4 is concerned. As such, while the Kiwami line may not continue, I can easily see RGG Studio building a new era based on these changes. That’s just my own speculation, however; nothing official has been announced yet.
The Yakuza series has been lately putting a lot of emphasis on the mysterious Daidoji Faction, which originally appeared in Yakuza 6 as a shadow organisation but have lately been building to be a major player in the overall narrative. Many fans are not a fan of this however, and suffice to say that the changes made in Yakuza Kiwami 3 are not going down particularly well with long-time fans.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties launches tomorrow for PS5, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. You can read our full verdict on the game here.
[Source – Masayoshi Yokoyama Interview via Dastanovich on X, GoSuGamers]