Highlights
- Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name may be released as a digital-only game, as hinted by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Sega.
- The spin-off title will bring back Kazuma Kiryu as the sole playable character and return to the action-brawler combat style.
- The game is set to release in November, but there are indications that it might not have a physical release and can only be downloaded.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and Sega are hinting that the upcoming release of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will be digital-only. The spin-off title is looking to bridge the gap between Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and the previous numbered mainline games. This game will once again have Kazuma Kiryu as its sole playable character, and will return to the same action-brawler combat style the franchise excelled in before its shift to a turn-based RPG. The game is slated to release this November, though there have been some indications that it might not have a physical release.
Earlier this year, there was a rumor that the English version of Like a Dragon Gaiden will be digital-only. This rumor was corroborated by a YouTube channel known as KamurochoBros, who had reached out to various retailers who discussed the matter with Sega. They stated that there would be no physical-boxed version of Like a Dragon Gaiden due to a variety of factors. This claim seems to be strengthened even further based on recent tweets from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's official Twitter account.
Recent tweets from the RGG Studio's account have been promoting Like a Dragon Gaiden's upcoming release for November, though the language in these tweets have been noticed by fans. It specifically promotes that the game will be available for download, instead of simply available for purchase.
While neither Sega nor RGG Studio have confirmed it outright, the pre-order pages on the game's official website lead to various online storefronts instead of retailers like Amazon, GameStop, or Best Buy. The only way for fans to currently get a physical version of Like a Dragon Gaiden will have to be through importing it from Japan, as that region will be getting a boxed copy.
This doesn't necessarily mean the series will exclusively be released digitally, however. Like a Dragon: Ishin released earlier in February with boxed versions in a simultaneous global launch, with it being a full-on remake of the original PS3 game. It's possible that due to Like a Dragon Gaiden's smaller scale, it would benefit more from being a digital release for a more niche player base. According to its director, Gaiden is slated to be half the length of a mainline game.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will launch November 9, 2023, on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
