Key Takeaways
- Sega has revealed Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, a new pirate-themed spin-off title starring Goro Majima in the lead role.
- The upcoming game will feature arcade action beat-em-up gameplay rather than the turn-based RPG style seen in other recent franchise entries.
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will be released on February 28, 2025 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Sega has revealed Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, a brand-new pirate-themed spin-off game starring Goro Majima. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Like a Dragon franchise has seen incredible success over the past few years, with the most recent mainline title, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, released to critical acclaim in early 2024. Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio are continuing to build on this momentum with Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, a game with one of the series’ most beloved and well-known characters selected as its protagonist.
Fans were clued in about this game fairly early on, as Ryu Ga Gotoku teased fans about its next game back in July, saying that fans would be “surprised” about its next project. While some leaks posted over the following months hinted at future games in the franchise, Ryu Ga Gotoku announced an RGG Summit event ahead of Tokyo Game Show 2024, which would officially reveal the next title in the series.
In the announcement trailer for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Goro Majima finds himself passed out on a sandy beach on Rich Island. A young boy named Noah offers him water, which he takes graciously. Majima reveals that his memory had been lost, not knowing how he washed ashore or even his own name. Majima and Noah are then attacked by a gang of pirates, but the well-known character manages to fend them off. He and Noah meet a bartender who informs them of some yakuza that are “helping” to dispose of the radioactive waste on Nele Island. Majima puts together a crew and sets sail on a new pirate-themed adventure, venturing to a nightclub city inside a cave called Madlantis.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Release Date
Similar to Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii returns to the series’ roots with traditional arcade action beat-em-up gameplay rather than the turn-based RPG style of the Kasuga-led mainline games. Like Joryu in Gaiden, Majima has two fighting styles, Mad Dog and Sea Dog, with the latter being more swashbuckling-focused. The character can also participate in a variety of side activities, like the Crazy Delivery minigame from Infinite Wealth and karaoke.
Fans have wanted a game starring The Mad Dog of Kamurocho for a while, especially after Majima was given a reduced role in Infinite Wealth. A game entirely focused on the extremely popular Goro Majima and his new pirate exploits is already being praised by fans for being an absolutely crazy idea that somehow manages to work.