Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name — Everything We Know

Ryu Ga Gotoku hasn’t exactly been sitting on idled hands these past few months, what with the team releasing Like a Dragon: Ishin, and then scheduling Like a Dragon 8 a little later down the line. But if you thought that was enough to keep the guys over in Japan busy, then you thought wrong. Turns out, there’s another game in the works, and if what our sources have been saying is true, then the so-called Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will bridge the gaps left between Like a Dragon 6: The Song of Life and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. So, a spin-off, then? Well, technically, yes, although one that you might just want to add to your wishlist.

Anyway, aside from its rather clustered title, what more do you need to know about the upcoming entry in the beloved action-packed saga? Well, here’s everything we’ve been able to extract on the matter since first hearing of it earlier last year. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name: what is it, and how will it tie in with Kazuma Kiryu’s overarching storyline?

What Is Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name?

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is an upcoming action-adventure JRPG by Ryu Ga Gotoku, and a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series. According to the team behind it, the upcoming entry will be roughly half the size of any traditional Yakuza or Like a Dragon game, but will feature a thread of key story events that are integral to Kazuma Kiryu’s overarching storyline. So, quite an important piece of the puzzle from the looks of it.

What’s worth mentioning here is the series’ return to its action roots, as opposed to the turn-based system that the Like a Dragon entries recently steered towards. This is a bold move for RGG, what with the studio intending to transition over to a turn-based format in upcoming instalments. However, to help balance the scales and keep all participants engaged with the timeline, the team has in fact decided to adopt its traditional real-time combat. Like a Dragon 8, on the other hand, will utilize the newly adopted turn-based system. Everyone’s a winner, basically.

Story

The Man Who Erased His Name will take place directly after the events of Like a Dragon 6: The Song of Life, and will depict Kiryu’s most crucial moments in the build-up to Yakuza: Like a Dragon. What we mean here, really, is Kiryu’s (or Joryu’s, if we’re going by his alias) time with the Daidoji Temple as the hundredth disciple. This story will unfold the events that eventually led to the longtime protagonist’s plunge back into the world of the Yakuza. So, clearly a chapter worth taking note of.

Gameplay

From what RGG has said of the game so far, The Man Who Erased His Name will return to its traditional real-time combat roots. This is, of course, a step away from the newly implemented turn-based system that was introduced in 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Needless to say that the fast-paced beat ’em up brawler-type format will be a welcome addition, and not to mention a real sight for sore eyes for anyone against the turn-based format.

Other than its signature real-time combat, The Man Who Erased His Name will also feature a slew of weird and wonderful side quests and activities to partake in — true to the Yakuza formula, warts and all. The only difference is, it won’t be as chunky as the mainline entries, as made clear by RGG’s announcement, who claimed it would be a little bigger than Lost Judgement’s DLC, but much shorter than a traditional Yakuza game. So, anywhere between 10 and 13 hours, then.

Development

The announcement of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name launched in tandem with Ryu Ga Gotoku’s bulkier reveal, which included both Like a Dragon: Ishin, and Like a Dragon 8. It was confirmed at the time that, although not a mainline entry in the series, the proposed spin-off would serve as a crucial part in the overarching narrative.

As it stands, RGG intends to bring the next game to all major platforms at some point in the latter half of 2023. If all goes according to plan, then we should get a last-minute information dump ahead of its eventual release.

Trailer

Fortunately for us, RGG has already gone ahead and posted a trailer for the next instalment. Need we say more? You can catch a glimpse of Kiryu (sorry, Joryu) in the announcement trailer embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

The good news is, Ryu Ga Gotoku hasn’t kept fans on tenterhooks for all that long, and has, in fact, stapled a rather vague 2023 release window to Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. And what’s more, it won’t be releasing as a console exclusive, either; it’ll be launching on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. As for when in 2023 it’ll be is still anybody’s guess, though it’s safe to say that, with the year already passing its halfway point, it’s likely to be a Q4 2023 window. Don’t quote us on that, though.

As far as editions go, Ryu Ga Gotoku has yet to shed light on anything outside of the standard copy posted on the regular storefronts. Should this change at any point ahead of its release date, chances are the details will be posted over on the studio’s official website here.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name caught your eye? If so, then be sure to check in with the team over at Ryu Ga Gotoku over on their official social handle here. We’ll be sure to let you know just as soon as a confirmed release date comes about. Until then, you can go ahead and add it to your wishlist on any of the respective store pages.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name when it releases later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.