After leaving RGG Studios in 2021, Toshihiro Nagoshi went on to create his own studio, Nagoshi Studio. His first project named Gang of Dragon was kept secret, until last night that is, where it was revealed in a new trailer at The Game Awards. As a founder of RGG Studios and the Yakuza/Like A Dragon franchise, it was expected that Nagoshi and his team would take on a style similar to his previous games. However, fans weren’t quite ready for a game so close to the Yakuza world.
A couple of years ago, Nagoshi shared a photo with actor Ma Dong-seok, also known as Don Lee. In the trailer, it was also revealed that Don Lee will play the lead role in Nagoshi’s new game. The title isn’t the only similarity to the Like a Dragon series; the gameplay and setting also share strong similarities with the Yakuza games, but with added elements like cars and heavy weapons.
It seems like Nagoshi has fully embraced the vision he had for the future of the Yakuza series, a direction that he potentially couldn’t pursue at Sega. Some gamers used to refer to Yakuza as “GTA in Japan,” and now Gang of Dragon seems to be aiming further in that direction, which will be sure to please fans of the original franchise that enjoyed this approach to gameplay.
Gang of Dragon is already available to wishlist on Steam with no release window. Are you excited about a new project from Nagoshi? Let us know in the comments, and for more on Gang of Dragon and Japanese games keep your eyes on GameObserver.
