The reveal of Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut was one of the most eye-catching game announcements at the recent Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Presentation, with Ryu Ga Gotoku continuing its impressive pace of project releases that has brought the studio so much success in recent years. As a re-release of the 2015 title that revolutionized the Yakuza franchise, now known as Like a Dragon, a lot of pressure is already being placed on the Director’s Cut to honor the original while keeping things fresh.
As expected, Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut comes with a range of graphical improvements compared to the original, while also adding some bold changes to the title’s story as well as a brand-new online mode. It is clear to see why the shock announcement of Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut has caused so much discussion among fans of Ryu Ga Gotoku’s longstanding franchise, and the new features of the release seem to be worth exploring for both brand-new and returning players.
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The New Features of Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut Are Too Intriguing To Miss Out On
The 2017 release of Yakuza 0 is regarded as one of the most important and influential entries in the entire franchise. The title really signified the series’ expansion into Western audiences and marked a huge step into making the IP the powerhouse that it is today. Yakuza 0 is renowned for its excellent story and the level of character development given to integral franchise characters like Kiryu Kazuma and Goro Majima; its wacky side content is the perfect compliment to its more grounded and somber narrative.
The Like a Dragon franchise has moved on in the years since Yakuza 0 first launched, with its new mainline focus on turn-based JRPG mechanics and Ichiban Kasuga, but the popularity and status of 0 still remains, explaining the massive attention that the Director’s Cut has received since its announcement on April 2. It was confirmed at the recent Nintendo Direct that Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut will launch as a timed exclusive for the Nintendo Switch 2, but will eventually come to other platforms.
Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is set to be a launch title for the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5. It’s unclear how long this timed exclusivity will last before it makes its way to other platforms.
In terms of upgraded performance, Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut will support 60 FPS and 4K resolution, bringing the classic title more up to speed with modern hardware and allowing for much sleeker gameplay. The main appeal of the Director‘s Cut lies elsewhere, however, with it being confirmed that the project will have close to 30 minutes of brand-new cutscenes spread throughout Yakuza 0‘s famous story.
Story Changes and a New Multiplayer Dynamic Puts Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut in a World of Its Own
From what has been teased by Ryu Ga Gotoku, these new cutscenes will provide never-before-seen context and background to certain characters and events, potentially having massive implications for the game’s story, with some fans already raising concerns about how this may take away from the already stellar narrative that Yakuza 0 owes a lot of its success to. It was also confirmed that Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut will bring an all-new PvE multiplayer mode to the game, named Red Light Raid. As a co-operative multiplayer mode, Red Light Raid will see players team up with their friends to fight against waves of enemies, being able to choose from 60 playable characters taken from the wider Like a Dragon universe.
Finally, Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut will come with a full English dub, with Ryu Ga Gotoku clearly making a concerted push to make such an iconic release as accessible as possible to newer players who may be unfamiliar with the original. This is echoed in the increased variety of subtitles that the Director‘s Cut will possess, with French, Italian, German, and Spanish subtitles being confirmed for the project. The extra content that Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut possesses seems to more than justify its existence, with the performance, narrative, and multiplayer upgrades of the project hopefully making for a faithful yet unique experience for all fans of Ryu Ga Gotoku’s flagship franchise.
Action
Adventure
RPG
Beat ‘Em Up
- Released
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June 5, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Intense Violence, Blood, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol