Over the last four years, the Yakuza series has turned from a beloved cult hit into a well known and popular franchise. Due in part to the Yakuza series' critical acclaim and platform expansion, it is now a recognizable name among gamers. It is because of this continued growth in fans and relevance that publisher Sega was able to expand the franchise through spinoffs like Judgement. Now, as the release of Lost Judgement approaches, it seems that it may not have the same staying power as its parent franchise.
According to reports, Lost Judgement may be last game in the Judgement franchise due to a contractual restriction. Japanese site Nikkan Taishu reports that the Judgement series may be in jeopardy due to a specific rule regarding an actor's likeness being used on certain platforms.
The story, as translated on the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit, indicates that due to actor Takuya Kimura's talent agency's stance on PC ports, the franchise may not expand beyond the upcoming sequel. Kimura, who voices and is the model for Judgement protagonist Takayuki Yagami, has a specific contractual agreement as to what platforms the actor's face can be used on. This is a noted ruling by Kimura's talent agency Johnny's who places the restriction on all of its clients.
While the insider remained anonymous, there have been indications that a Lost Judgement PC port was planned at some stage. With the reveal of Lost Judgement for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series consoles, noticeably absent from the list was PC. While fans were disappointed, there were indications of a Lost Judgement PC port before Sega would confirm that it was not currently planned. Others have taken to viewing Johnny's past forms of control over its talent's likeness to further bolsters the reports of the agency barring a PC release.
A key reason that Sega would go so far to consider dropping the franchise entirely over the contractual restriction is due to the publisher's further investment in the PC platform. Over the last few years, Sega has embraced porting efforts to PC through both recent and legacy releases. The publisher has seen widespread success through numerous Steam releases, including the Yakuza franchise which is now readily available on PC. Beyond just Yakuza, other ports like Persona 4: Golden have also had successful releases further indicating the wider audience through Steam.
Sega has yet to comment on the recent report but the news has left many fans confused over what seems to be a strange restriction. For many, Judgment was a welcome break away from the Yakuza franchise while still maintaining many of the design elements. Hopefully Sega and Johnny's will be able to come to an agreement, as fans wish to continue the legal journey of Yagami for all the possible games to come.
Lost Judgment releases on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series consoles on September 24, 2021.
