Overnight, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio director and executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama introduced RGG Direct 2025, a livestream chiefly dedicated to a remake of the previously leaked Yakuza 3, which will be released alongside the spin-off game, Dark Ties.
Yakuza 3 was released in 2009 — that’s over 15(!) years ago now — and Yokoyama said this remake “is the best iteration of the original game, Yakuza Kiwami 3.” Dark Ties, however, is a “new, never-before-seen story,” which means this essentially bundles two games in one package.
“Like a Dragon & Yakuza series will celebrate its 20th anniversary on December 8 of this year,” the team said. “We sincerely appreciate your continued support of RGG Studio.”
Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties
“We’re developing [Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties] based on the concept ‘a legend is reborn and a new legacy begins,'” Yokoyama added, after which chief producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto said that both Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 “directly link to this title.” Producer/director Ryosuke Horii introduced details about the upcoming game, which is out in February 2026.
“[Kiwami 3] is a total remake of 2009’s Yakuza 3,” he explained. “We’ve rebuilt it from the ground up using the latest technology developed by our talented staff. The game has evolved enormously with loads of new cutscenes and newly added game elements. I can proudly say that we’re delivering a game worthy of the Kiwami title.”
We had a good time with the original, awarding it 8.5/10 back in 2010, but while the remake follows Yakuza 3’s story, RGG has added cutscenes “that we weren’t able to fully deliver before.”
“Whether it’s Kiryu and his pal Rikiya Shimabukuro, or enemies like Mine, Kanda, and Hamazaki, we’ve further detailed their thoughts and actions to better depict the human condition and connection,” Horii added.
Additional scenes are not the only new things coming to the game, either. Players can expect re-recorded voice lines as well as brand new ones, and “overhauled” animations, with some scenes “changed drastically with different developments and outcomes.”
“In order to greatly outdo ourselves and make a game that everyone will love, we didn’t take the safe, defensive route by glorifying the past with a simple remake, but instead took a more aggressive approach to make Yakuza Kiwami 3,” Horii said.
🐉A LEGEND IS REBORN AND A NEW LEGACY BEGINS🐉
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties releases Feb 12, 2026 on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch™ 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam).
👉Digital pre-orders now live (link in bio)! Physical to follow in coming days.#YakuzaKiwami3… pic.twitter.com/hhIei4IUYv— RGG Studio | Like a Dragon & Yakuza Series (@RGGStudio) September 24, 2025
The battle system has also been reworked so you can expect two kinds of battle style, Dragon of the Dojima: Kiwami and a brand new battle style, Ryukyu, which is inspired by generational Okinawan martial arts.
“For beyond a remake, Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a brand new title, vastly evolved from the original,” Horii added, after which Sakamoto explained the new Dark Ties story sees Yoshitaka Mine — chairman of the Hakuho Clan and a “popular character from the series” — as protagonist for the first time, joining the yakuza to “pursue unwavering bonds.”
Essentially a spinoff, Dark Ties is an action-adventure game that depicts the events leading up to Yakuza 3. It’s a story of the “gritty reality of human relationships in the criminal underworld,” with a “refined but cool” combat style centered around boxing.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties are out on February 12, 2026. You can pre-order now.
Yakuza Kiwami 1 and Yakuza Kiwami 2
Meanwhile, both Yakuza Kiwami 1 and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are coming to Nintendo Switch 2, with both physical and digital editions available, on November 13, 2025.
They’re also coming to PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S, albeit a little later on December 8, 2025.
Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut
Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is already available on Nintendo Switch 2, but it’s now also coming to PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S on December 8, 2025. Again, it’ll available both digitally and physically.
Live-action Yakuza 3
Details were slim here, admittedly, but a live-action production featuring Kazuma Kiryu is also on the way. The team working on this previously worked on one of Japan’s most popular crime series, Nihon Touitsu.
“Through the collaboration of the game and the live-action drama themed around the underworld, we’re creating a work to make Yakuza even more accessible to those unfamiliar with the series,” Yokoyama explained, adding that multilingual localization will also be available “to make this more accessible for those of you around the world.”
Stranger Than Heaven
To close out the livestream, fans were treated to a brief behind-the-scenes snippet of Stranger Than Heaven, which is also in development. We don’t get to see much, unfortunately — the video is only a couple of minutes long — but the team is making good progress, as showcased by a BTS peek at programming, mocapping, and more.
New Virtua Fighter Project
I’m afraid I have nothing additional to report here other than to reiterate that Yokoyama said a “new Virtua Fighter project” was on the way. Watch this space…
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
