Fans of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio games have a bright future to look forward to after The Game Awards revealed two new projects from the developer in the pipeline. Aside from Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii which is slated for a February 21, 2025 release, RGG Studio is also working on a new Virtua Fighter game as well as the brand-new title Project Century. While little is known about Project Century at this point, fans have been abuzz with speculation regarding its potential connection to the broader Like a Dragon universe.
From what few details can be gleaned from the trailer, players appear to be tackling the criminal underworld of 1915 Japan as a protagonist who is far more brutal than any the Like a Dragon series has seen. While this level of violence is a departure for RGG Studio, the character’s likeness may be familiar to some Like a Dragon fans. Though it’s unclear if Project Century is a part of Like a Dragon canon, this protagonist already has a link to the franchise.
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Project Century’s Apparent Protagonist Actor Played Kiryu in Takashi Miike’s 2007 Yakuza Film Adaptation
Kazuki Kitamura Has a History with the Like a Dragon Series
While it hasn’t been outright confirmed, the unnamed protagonist shown in the trailer for Project Century bears a striking resemblance to Japanese actor Kazuki Kitamura, likely meaning he provided the model for the character’s likeness. This wouldn’t be the first time Kitamura has worked with RGG Studio, as the actor lent his voice to the character Kurosawa in the 2012 third-person shooter Binary Domain developed by RGG. However, Kitamura has an even more direct connection to the Like a Dragon franchise.
Before Amazon Prime’s Like a Dragon: Yakuza live-action adaptation of the franchise, director Takashi Miike produced his own take on the series with the 2007 film Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The film starred Kazuki Kitamura as iconic series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and followed the events of the original Yakuza game. With this role under his belt, it’s great to see Kitamura potentially embrace this world once again should Project Century be a part of the Like a Dragon universe.
Despite being a prolific film actor, Kitamura’s only video game credit is for his work on
Binary Domain
.
Regardless of Canon, Project Century Has Clear Roots in the Like a Dragon Franchise
Until more information is shared about Project Century, its status within RGG’s wider Like a Dragon franchise will likely continue to be debated. However, even if this title ends up as its own separate IP, it’s clear that Project Century‘s identity can be traced back to the Like a Dragon series, as well as RGG’s other past work. The apparent role Kitamura plays as the game’s protagonist shows that RGG is willing to tap into its history and bring Kitamura back for a new project.
Beyond this apparent casting choice, the combat displayed in the trailer for Project Century harkens back to the classic pre-turn-based days of the Like a Dragon series that RGG has honed over the years. The commitment to retaining the identity of the Like a Dragon series that RGG is known for while telling a new story bodes well for Project Century, regardless of whether it’s set within the Like a Dragon universe. Leaning on an actor like Kitamura also lends credence to the idea that RGG intends to use Project Century as a bridge to the classic style of Like a Dragon game given his past portrayal of Kiryu, potentially setting the game up to be another path for the franchise to take, if not an entirely new franchise in itself.
