The director of the upcoming Like a Dragon 8 will have the fan-favorite Goro Majima in the game, though there is a slight catch to his appearance. Like a Dragon 8 is the sequel to the seventh mainline game in the franchise, following Ichiban Kasuga's misadventures in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Alongside Ichiban as the game's protagonist, a returning Kazuma Kiryu will also be playable, where he will have his own set of party members with the same JRPG mechanics of its predecessor. This may get some fans wondering which characters will be involved in the adventure, along with what party members will be present for the two heroes.
Ichiban Kasuga's party seems to be comprised of familiar Yakuza: Like a Dragon party members Saeko, Nanba, and Adachi, as seen in a brief showcase of cutscene clips from Like a Dragon 8. Kiryu's party members on the other hand are still a bit of a mystery, as they could be all-new characters created for the game, or a number of legacy characters like Goro Majima, Shun Akiyama, or even Taiga Saejima, just to name a few possibilities. Goro Majima is slated to at least make a return in the upcoming JRPG, according to both the game's director, Masayoshi Yokoyama, and Majima's voice actor, Hidenari Ugaki.
This was confirmed in a recent marathon stream of several Like a Dragon games in the Kiryu saga, from Yakuza 0 all the way to Yakuza 6. A segment of the stream had a sit-down interview between Yokoyama and Ugaki, where they discuss Majima's character (translated by Dragon Enterprise). It starts with Yokoyama's discussing at his surprise at Majima's popularity, where he even notes his confusion at the character's "legendary" status. Yokoyama then confirms that Majima's popularity is why the character will be making an appearance in Like a Dragon 8, much to Ugaki's excitement.
Yokoyama then tempers fan expectations regarding Majima's role in Like a Dragon 8, where he confirms he won't be playing a major role in the game's story. Ugaki then asked how much he is allowed to say regarding his appearance, with Yokoyama confirming that Majima will not be a part of the main cast, as according to the translation, he was a late addition into the game. This means players shouldn't expect to see Majima as a playable party member in Like a Dragon 8 and will have some reduced screentime.
Some fans are split on this decision, especially with a character who is one of the most popular of the entire lineup. Within the main story for Like a Dragon 8, this means that Majima is likely have fewer appearances like in Yakuza 5 and 6, which some find to be a waste. Others are hoping this reduced role will have him still doing something important, and isn't just included for fanservice.
Like a Dragon 8 will release on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2024.
Source: YouTube
