Yakuza: Like a Dragon will launch November 13 amid new console releases

By Don Reisinger Published April 25, 2023

Sega’s next installment in the Yakuza franchise is launching in November. But there are still questions surrounding its eventual debut on next-generation consoles.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon will land on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on November 13, Sega confirmed on Monday, August 24. Sega didn’t say when the game would be available on the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 but did acknowledge that it will get a launch day release on Microsoft’s console. Yakuza: Like a Dragon‘s PlayStation 5 launch date only says “coming soon.” It’s unknown whether it will also be available on that console’s release date or at some point thereafter.

All eyes are on the question of when Microsoft and Sony will launch their upcoming consoles. Sony has said that the PlayStation 5 will be available this holiday season, and Microsoft confirmed earlier this month that the Xbox Series X will launch in November. Also this month, an Xbox Series X controller leaked with a sticker on its packaging that instructed retailers not to sell the unit until November 6. Since then, industry watchers have speculated that the console will launch that day.

However, if Sega does plan to launch Yakuza: Like a Dragon on November 13, it could call that speculation into question, and it’s possible, though unconfirmed, that Sega may have tipped the Xbox Series X launch date. For its part, Microsoft has said that it will share an official Xbox Series X launch date at some point in the future. Sony has said the same about the PlayStation 5.

Either way, there shouldn’t be too much risk in buying Yakuza: Like a Dragon on an older console if it launches before next-generation hardware hits store shelves. Sega has already said that anyone who buys the game on the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One will get a free upgrade to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions when they’re available.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be set in the Yakuza franchise, and players will assume the role of Ichiban Kasuga, a former gang member who gets out of prison and learns that his clan has been wiped out. He then sets out for revenge.

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Don Reisinger is a freelance technology, video game, and entertainment journalist. He has been writing about the world of…

Gaming

Like a Dragon Gaiden will come with an Infinite Wealth demo

Kiryu and Ichiban speak in the Special Trial demo for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Sega announced that Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which comes out this November, will contain a "Special Trial Version" demo of 2024's Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Including a demo for an upcoming game with another game is a bit of an old-school tactic, with two of the more famous examples being Zone of the Enders containing one for Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Final Fantasy Type-0 HD coming with a Final Fantasy XV demo. A lot of new fans joined the Like a Dragon series with 2020's Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which Infinite Wealth is a sequel to, and this special trial version now gives them a reason to give The Man Who Erased His Name a shot even if they aren't as familiar with Kiryu's story.
This was all revealed in a new lengthy overview trailer for The Man Who Erased His Name featuring Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio Director Masayoshi Yokoyama. In it, Yokoyama gives an overview of the game's story, which serves as an interquel of sorts and explains what Kiryu was up to in between Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and Infinite Wealth, and its classic action-style gameplay. Then, he revealed the Infinite Wealth demo and teased that it will contain "special content like scenes not included in the main game" and that players will need to beat The Man Who Erased His Name to access it.
Like a Dragon Gaiden | Overview Trailer & Developer Update
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and this Infinite Wealth demo will release on November 9 across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The full version of Like a Dragon Gaiden: Infinite Wealth will come to those same platforms sometime in early 2024.

Gaming

April’s PlayStation Plus games include a PS5 launch title and a new release

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Sony has revealed the games that are going to be part of April's batch of PlayStation Plus Essential titles, and it includes a game that was a PS5 launch title, as well as a brand new game from the developers of Dead by Daylight.
Specifically, the three games that will be available starting April 4 are the PS4 and PS5 versions of Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Meet Your Maker, and Tails of Iron. Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a 3D platformer spinoff of Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet series that launched alongside the PS5 in 2020. Unlike other LittleBigPlanet games, Sackboy: A Big Adventure doesn't rely on user-generated content. Instead, it's a tightly designed cooperative platformer that functions much closer to something like Super Mario 3D World. If you are looking for that user-made content kick this month, then the other PS Plus Essential game, Meet Your Maker, will be more appealing to you.

This game from Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive is a postapocalyptic base-building game where players both build and explore player-created outposts full of deadly traps and guards. I called Meet Your Maker one of the "most original multiplayer games launching this year" after playing its open beta during Steam Next Fest. Finally, there's Tails of Iron, a fantasy side-scrolling action RPG featuring rats that should appeal to indie game and Soulslike fans. Overall, April's lineup of PlayStation Plus games feels quite diverse. Hopefully, we can say the same for April's PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium titles when they are revealed.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Meet Your Maker, and Tails of Iron will be available through PlayStation Plus from April 4 until May 1. If you haven't already, it's also a good idea to download March's PlayStation Plus Essential games -- Battlefield 2042, Minecraft Dungeons, and Code Vein -- before these three games replace them.

Gaming

Where to find every substory in Like a Dragon: Ishin!

Like a Dragon: Ishin Ryoma Sakamoto

The Like a Dragon series is mainly known for two things: deep, complex, and character-driven plots that feel like a full season of a high-budget drama, and outlandish substories. Like a Dragon: Ishin!, despite being set in the 1800s, doesn't shy away from including just as many of these wacky side activities as any other entry in the series. These bite-sized tales are often humorous, though occasionally heartfelt and genuine, serving as diversions from the main plot that are the perfect way to add some variety to your quest. If you love these little sidequests as much as we do, here are the locations for every substory in Like a Dragon: Ishin!
What are substories?

Substories are what sidequests are called in Like a Dragon: Ishin! Many will trigger just by approaching the right NPC at the right time and will see Ryoma get wrapped up in someone's bizarre problems that only he can solve. These usually take no more than a couple minutes, but are always worth doing.