Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza is a Gaiden-Style Spin-Off Starring an Amnesiac Majima

The next installment in the wild and wacky Yakuza franchise has been revealed, and this time we will be taking on the role of series mainstay Goro Majima. Having washed ashore with nary a memory of how he arrived in Hawaii or even his own name, the Mad Dog of Shimano quickly turns to a life of piracy, because why not? Swashbuckling, sword fights and sea adventures will sit nicely beside Majima’s other exploits including an apocalyptic zombie survival, Hell in a Cell underground colosseum, and much more. Needless to say, I’d expect nothing less from our unhinged anti-hero.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza was announced by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Sega at the September 2024 RGG Summit. The lengthy reveal trailer reveals a Gaiden-style spin-off (like last year’s The Man Who Erased His Name) that’s equal parts Yakuza and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. The narrative seems to hook directly into Ichiban’s massive adventure in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but for the sake of spoilers we’ll leave it at that. What we can say is, Goro Majima is about to become a notorious pirate captain sailing the seas in search of treasure and worthy ship battles.

Of course, combat won’t be restricted to the naval variety. Majima will be bringing that signature Mad Dog style to Hawaii as he beats down all manner of punks. He’ll also be able to leverage a new Sea Dog style for when fully embodying the pirate persona becomes necessary. As an added bonus, Majima has learned how to jump, a series’ first. The aerial combos should open plenty of doors with the beat ’em up action combat, but we’ll have to wait and see how this added ability affects minigames and general exploration.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza will release on February 28, 2025 on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. Standard, Deluxe and Collector’s editions are available for pre-order now.