'Yakuza Kiwami 3' will be the last remake and Sega changes the saga's course

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio confirmed that Yakuza Kiwami 3 will be the last game under the "Kiwami" label. The news became known during the official RGG Studio TV program, where executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama made a remark that surprised fans.

The remake of Yakuza 3, titled Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties, is being released this week and will mark the end of this line of remakes. According to the studio, if there are future projects, they will no longer carry the Kiwami label.

The end of an era for the Yakuza remakes

The Kiwami series was born as a modern reinterpretation of the franchise's first titles. Until now, it has included the remakes of Yakuza 1, Yakuza 2, and Yakuza 3.

In contrast, Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5 only have remasters, without structural changes to the story. With this announcement, the studio makes it clear that there will not be new "from scratch" versions of those installments.

Is a new timeline coming?

Masayoshi Yokoyama explained that Yakuza Kiwami 3 introduces important changes to the canon. According to his words, when players finish it, "everything will make different sense."

That detail ignited theories within the community: many interpret that the saga could be beginning a new timeline. If this is confirmed, we would no longer be talking about revisions like the Kiwami games, but about complete reinterpretations of the Yakuza / Like a Dragon universe. It would be a major shift in the studio's narrative strategy.

What is known about the franchise's future

For now, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has not officially announced the next major title in the main saga. However, the most likely scenario is that the next step will be a direct sequel to Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

In addition, the studio already has other major projects in the pipeline. Among them are Stranger Than Heaven and the return of Virtua Fighter, two major bets within Sega's catalog.