Key Takeaways
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s technical manager wants to develop a new Dragon Engine for future games in the Like a Dragon series.
- The studio’s current engine was first used to create Yakuza 6 in 2016.
- Recent titles in the franchise have been well received, but players have criticized reused assets and animations.
Yutaka Ito, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s technical manager, has voiced interest in developing a new Dragon Engine for future games in the Like a Dragon franchise. Over the past eight years, 10 games in the Like a Dragon series have been developed using the engine created for Yakuza 6.
Formerly known outside of Japan as Yakuza, the Like a Dragon franchise has seen a jump in popularity over the past decade, attracting players with its unique blend of beat ’em up and RPG elements. Inspiring everything from radio dramas and stage plays to a recent live-action Like a Dragon series on Prime Video, the impact of the series cannot be understated, with Ryu Ga Gotoku continuously seeking new ways to upgrade the series for new audiences. While its relatable characters and incorporation of unique aspects of Japanese culture have made the franchise a hit, some upgrades may be necessary to keep the Like a Dragon series going strong.
Related
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii May Move the Needle, But It Doesn’t Need To
LAD: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is set to innovate with Majima’s swashbuckling adventures, but there’s equal merit to the features it’s bringing back.
In a chat with Automaton, Yutaka Ito, the technical manager of Ryu ga Gotoku Studio and technical director of the recent title Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, said that it may be time to develop a new Dragon Engine. The current engine was first utilized in the 2016 game Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, and has since been used to create nine additional titles, including Like a Dragon: Ishin and the upcoming spin-off Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. I’d like to try to make a new Dragon Engine specialized for high-spec consoles, and with it, to develop a new action-adventure game,” Ito said. “This is just what I personally feel, so it has nothing to do with the studio’s actual plans.”
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio May Develop a New Game Engine for Future Like a Dragon Titles
Fans of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s games often criticize the many reused assets and animations found in more recent titles, and many would likely be interested in seeing future titles developed to utilize the full power of current hardware. This isn’t the first time that an improved Dragon Engine has been mentioned either, as in 2022, RGG studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama acknowledged that it was time for a “major update,” calling the engine “old.” While Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii‘s fate has already been sealed, fans will have to wait and see whether some new tech is used to develop the next mainline game in the long-running franchise.
Scheduled for release on February 21, 2025, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will follow the story of recurring series protagonist Goro Majima, who must lead a pirate crew to discover a hidden treasure and escape a deserted island. In early November, Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator of the Like a Dragon series, gave an update on his new project, which is being developed by his own Nagoshi Studio. While few specific details have been provided, Nagoshi teased that the game will feature an expansive world with meaningful gameplay crafted not to overwhelm players.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Date Founded
- August 31, 2011
- Headquarters
- Tokyo, Japan