The Yakuza series is going to stay as a turn-based RPG

Sega has some good news for RPG fans who loved Yakuza: Like a Dragon - the core Yakuza video game series will remain a traditional turn-based RPG going forwards.

The bosses of the Yakuza series confirmed the fact to IGN in a recent interview as part of the reveal of Lost Judgment, a direct sequel to the 2018 spin-off from the Yakuza series that cast players as a lawyer who begins to take matters into his own hands - whereas Yakuza typically puts you into the shoes of a Yakuza gang member with a heart of gold.

"The Yakuza series has been transformed into a turn-based RPG," Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi and producer Kazuki Hosokawa told the website. "On the other hand, over the years, Ryu ga Gotoku Studio has accumulated resources and know-how of making flashy and exhilarating action games that are effortless to enjoy. We decided that we should let our signature action gameplay live on through Lost Judgment."

You're reading that right - the Yakuza series is basically splitting into two different directions. Judgment will continue as an action-adventure series with very light role-playing touches, starting with the newly-announced Lost Judgment, which is set for release on September 24, 2021. Meanwhile, the next 'main series' Yakuza title will be a turn-based RPG - though we'll have to wait for that to surface at a later date. 

RPG Site named Yakuza: Live a Dragon one of its top five RPGs of 2020 - so naturally, we think this is pretty good news. We will continue to cover the Judgment games too, as genre-adjacent curiosities - but it's good to know that for the foreseeable future, Yakuza will be one of ours.