Sega's Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, developer of the Like A Dragon / Yakuza franchise, has given the smallest of morsels in regards to what it's working on next.
As reported by VGC, the developer recently held the 'Essence of Fandom' panel at Anime Expo in Los Angeles. Fans in attendance have since said that during the panel, it was said that they'll “be surprised” by what's in store from RGG Studio for its next title.
“We can't tell you what kind of game it is but I will tell you… you will be surprised,” reads the quote as posted by TheYakuzaGuy on X / Twitter.
“We can’t tell you what kind of game it is but I will tell you .. you will be surprised.” WHAT IS RGG COOKING.July 7, 2024
We can employ a bit of analysis to try and work out what Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's next game could be. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth launched earlier this year, meaning the next mainline entry in the series is likely a ways off yet. It's perhaps more likely that the next game could be a spin-off or side story, then, as we saw last year with Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which filled in protagonist Kazuma Kiryu's story between the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and Yakuza: Like A Dragon.
RGG also handles developmental duties on other Sega properties, having also worked on Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble and Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown. However, given the panel was strictly related to the Like A Dragon series, it's most likely the studio's next game falls within that franchise.
With that in mind, we could see a spin-off game starring one of the series' popular side characters, or potentially a third entry in the Judgment series which takes place in the same continuity as Like A Dragon. Hopefully we won't have to wait long for more details, as RGG Studio is notable for having a relatively swift and efficient development schedule.
