Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is working on Yakuza 8

Masayoshi Yokoyama recently told Weekly Famitsu how major departures from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio impact the Yakuza series.

Last month, Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi and series director Daisuke Sato confirmed they were leaving Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. Nagoshi, who also was previously SEGA’s Chief Creative Officer, additionally stepped down from that role this year as well. The departure of these two seasoned veterans and the restructuring of the studio left many fans concerned over Yakuza’s future.

On the other hand, the studio’s new leader Yokoyama believes restructuring the company grants the opportunity to breathe new life into their games. With two of the three driving creative forces gone, different developers, new and seasoned alike, can take larger roles. Restructuring Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is necessary to bring new ideas to the table. Yokoyama explains how until this year, the face of the company remained the same for the past decade.

In the past ten years, the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has become an organization to the tune of 300 people, but Nagoshi, Sato, and myself as the set top three has continued for a long time. It’s hard to change without some sort of shock to the system.

Masayoshi Yokoyama

The future of Yakuza

Because of the company’s restructuring, Yokoyama added in the interview that he wanted to challenge the team by developing a new title. As a result, Yakuza 8 is officially in development. For now, Yokoyama cannot discuss many details. He did state, however, that the new game will continue to follow Ichiban Kasuga’s story and take place a few years after Yakuza: Like A Dragon.

Although Yokoyama did not add anymore details, there are some other things players can expect from Yakuza 8. One detail is that the gameplay will most likely be similar to Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Earlier this year, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio stated that future games would continue to be turn-based RPGs. In addition, players should expect the next game to feature a new location. In September, Kazuki Hosokawa said the studio plans to set future games outside of Japan for the first time ever.

Are you excited for Yakuza 8? How do you think Ryu Ga Gotoku’s new direction will impact the franchise going forward? Let us know down below!

Via Kotaku