Hawaii's 'Like a Dragon' Expansion: Bigger Than Gaiden

Prepare for a significantly expanded Yakuza/Like a Dragon experience! Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii promises to be substantially larger than its predecessor, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. RGG Studio's president, Masayoshi Yokoyama, revealed at RGG SUMMIT 2024 that the game's world and story will be approximately 1.3 to 1.5 times bigger.

A Grander Scale Adventure in 2025

This isn't a minor expansion; Yokoyama emphasizes a complete shift in scale. He highlighted the expansive game world, including locations like Honolulu (seen in Infinite Wealth) and Madlantis, contributing to a significantly larger game volume compared to Gaiden. This isn't just about size; the game's content is densely packed. Expect enhanced brawling combat, alongside a plethora of quirky side activities and mini-games. Yokoyama hints at a blurring of lines between "Gaiden" titles and mainline entries, suggesting this could be a fully fledged, major installment.

Majima's Hawaiian Pirate Adventure

The charismatic Goro Majima, voiced again by Hidenari Ugaki, takes center stage in this Hawaiian-set adventure. The game begins with Majima washed ashore, inexplicably becoming a pirate. Ugaki, while enthusiastic, remains tight-lipped about the details, promising much more to be revealed.

Unexpected Cameos and Live-Action Elements

Voice actress First Summer Uika (Noah Ritchie) teased a live-action scene featuring Ryuji Akiyama (Masaru Fujita). Akiyama himself playfully hinted at an intriguing recording experience, mentioning an aquarium and "many beautiful women" on set, adding an element of playful mystery. These "beautiful women" might be the "Minato Ward girls," who will appear in both live-action and CG form within the game, following auditions held earlier this year by the studio. The auditions, according to Ryosuke Horii, attracted many passionate fans of the series. For more details on the auditions, see our related article.