RGG's Downfall Gives Nagoshi Studios the Chance to Do the Unthinkable

2 weeks ago 7

Amidst RGG's Downfall, Nagoshi Studios has the Chance to Do the Unthinkable

Published Feb 24, 2026, 9:00 AM EST

Usama Mehmood is a writer who has done extensive work for previous publications, including Ranking Lists, Reviews, and even Featured Pieces. This allowed him to quickly pursue a position as an Editor during his former tenure, managing different teams and their content delivery whilst continuing to provide further expertise from his own written work.

He specializes in a variety of AAA and multiplayer titles; from spending countless hours with Sam and BB in Death Stranding to plowing through the latest raid boss with his clan mates in Destiny 2, there's a lot for him to enjoy about the gaming industry.

Whether you came across my polarized review of Kiwami 3 or are just a fan who's contemplating the direction of the series like I am, it is very evident that the Yakuza series is at an all-time bleak point. The controversies and the complete lack of respect Kiwami 3 had compared to the original made it the most insufferable game thus far for many veteran players. And it doesn't help the fact that SEGA and RGG Studio tried to pull the most baffling display of damage control for this game.

Even besides all this, you have to wonder how the total shift of this series has gone down and under from the directional perspective, because instead of expanding the universe or looking at ways to give us more nuanced titles like Stranger than Heaven, why are we backpedaling for another timeline featuring Kiryu when his time in the sun rightfully ran out a while ago?

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Review

While it makes the third entry accessible to most casual fans, Kiwami 3 (unfortunately) doesn't respect the original's legacy enough.

You see, while RGG is committed to that questionable front as a whole, I can't help but wonder if the grass on the other side is going to look that much greener now with Nagoshi Studios and their Gang of Dragon project. But what are the circumstances that could lead to the ex-head of the series (possibly) pulling off an upset here? Let's talk about it.

In case it wasn't obvious already, major story spoilers for Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties will be discussed below.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 Barely Respects the Original

Some of it Just Doesn't Make Sense

Besides the elephant in the room, which are the retcons of Hamazaki and Mine in the ending, I'm willing to argue that the main story of Kiwami 3 is almost 1:1 to the original. Look, I get that the individual orphanage stories were cut from the main narrative, but point your pitchforks at me all you want; I genuinely love the revamped substories for each kid as well as the brand-new orphanage mode, as this change helps the overall pacing of the crime drama aspect of the story, but just a bit.

However, what I don't understand, and I speak for everyone else, are the rest of the changes to the game, from the absence of Revelations, dozens of substories, the Hostess mini-game, or even Komaki—seriously? He's the one who taught Kiryu the essentials of his iconic Dragon of Dojima fighting style for crying out loud. What are we even doing now?

The majority of the substories from those hundreds in the original Yakuza 3 were, understandably, nothingburgers, or rather, meticulously annoying in how they progressed or what they comically represented. I understand cutting those for the better, but I swear there are some removals that undeniably tarnish their whole legacy. And yes, that includes the Murder at Café Alps and that one substory involving Ayaka at the Bantam bar.

I honestly believe that the Café Alps murder substory, no matter how divergent its structure, laid a fractional seed for the foundation of the detective elements in the Judgment spin-off.

And the "Talking About Me?" substory featuring Ayaka brilliantly captured LGBTQ representation, specifically for the Trans community, at a time when the entire topic was considered taboo. I mean, after all, Nagoshi himself has the utmost respect for it, considering his co-host for various livestreams was a trans woman (Ayana Tsubaki, who surprisingly also modeled Ayaka for the aforementioned substory).

I'm not trying to point fingers here, since there was no clear indication or reasoning about the removal of these substories, but for things like the Revelations? Saying they would've required more hours of work to bring back, then justifying additional content to compensate for them, felt like the most underhanded way to sweep them under the rug. I get that Revelations felt more comical and hilarious in tone in Yakuza 4, but that doesn't change the fact that they were still an integral part of the original Yakuza 3.

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The Fanbase that Erased Their Name

At this Point, We've All Been Fools

I still stand by what I said in my review about Dark Ties being a great companion campaign to Kiwami 3, since we get to see Mine's origins being fleshed out, as well as his adoration and cynical obsession with Daigo getting expanded. Though, needless to say, the ending, along with the new one in Kiwami 3, pivoted my entire opinion to a standstill. Did we really need to retcon everything to include the Daidoji Faction in the narrative? Was Mine that popular a character to do all of this?

Even putting aside the recast actor's (valid) controversy for a moment, the retcon of Hamazaki alongside Mine partially ruins the soft redemption he earned in Yakuza 4 through his run-ins with Saejima. There are so many things that run through your head in the moment, and then to see how the series' current head, Masayoshi Yokoyama, comes up and announces that the Kiwami title will be retired in place for a new one to describe this redirection for the series—I just had no words to speak other than being in complete disarray.

Ichiban Kasuga became one of my favorite all-time protagonists with Yakuza 7, especially in a time when he helped me overcome some of the darkest times of my life. His happy-go-lucky nature and childlike personality resonated with me much more from a single game than Kiryu did across six entries. And while Infinite Wealth didn't do much for him, it massively pains me to see him being shoved to the side, or, actually, as DLC fodder for the recent titles. What's going on? This man was supposed to carry the torch from Kiryu.

Did we really need to retcon everything to include the Daidoji Faction in the narrative? Was Mine THAT popular a character to do all of this?

So many refreshing ideas on paper; we could've had another Gaiden game focusing on Akiyama after his return in Infinite Wealth, a risky yet completely possible female-lead game with Seonhee, a remaster of both Kurohyou titles from the PSP. But no, RGG's obsession with the Daidoji Faction as they seemingly create this whole Avengers-esque universe surrounding them is just the most god-awful thing to witness as a beloved fan. Almost to the point where I don't even want to imagine what the next game from them is going to be like, because at this point, only RGG's upcoming Stranger Than Heaven looks to be the silver lining in all of this for me.

Gang of Dragon Could Potentially Be Special

Engraved With Nagoshi's Signature Sauce

In case you've been living under a rock, Toshihiro Nagoshi's Gang of Dragon was one of the major reveals at The Game Awards 2025 this past year under his newfound studio. One of the biggest talking points was how this crime-drama action title features Korean megastar Ma Dong-seok as the main protagonist and, most importantly, the trailer concluded by showing off the Kabukicho district's gate, the same place Kamurucho is based on in the first place.

Now I know Nagoshi wouldn't take potshots at his former brothers or anything, but the timing was really convenient. Plus, the trailer had an all-killer, no-filler style like a B-grade Hollywood flick. Though it isn't totally infused with Nagoshi's Yakuza formula, the game appears to feature vehicular gameplay and combat, with a (supposed) emphasis on high-octane gunfights.

With all that said, it's too early to tell whether this game will actually be the spiritual successor fans need for the Yakuza series. You really can't ever replace the household name that Nagoshi himself built in the first place, but with the dire state that the fanbase is in right now with the series, the premiere showcase of Gang of Dragon had everyone looking forward to it like moths to a flame.

But me? I'm just another man who erase—oops, I meant to say that I'll be keeping a close eye on the development scene. But for the game itself still being in the pre-production stages, and considering Nagoshi Studios is under the NetEase umbrella here, Gang of Dragon has me cautiously optimistic. And hey, at least we still have Stranger than Heaven in the oven; that's like two full-sized cakes for me.

Despite my making this entire thing seem like the franchise is in shambles, the current RGG is still a studio that can write well when the situation demands it. They can nail heartfelt character interactions and provide a solid balance between the dramedy and action parts of the average Yakuza game. Honestly, I'm just praying that there is a day when Yokoyama re-evaluates his creative vision for the series, because that seems like the root of all evil at this point. But even that feels like a far-fetched miracle right now.