Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio Head and Yakuza series developer Masayoshi Yokoyama has explained that the iconic games may never make their way to the Switch due to the perception of the console and Nintendo in Japan. Recently, at the RGG Summit 2022, a bunch of new announcements were made regarding the future of the Yakuza games, including the next mainline entry in the series, Like a Dragon 8, which continues the story of Kazuma Kiryu, as well as the protagonist of the last game, Ichiban Kasuga.
All of the new reveals at the RGG Summit were announced to be coming to both current and last-gen consoles. For some, the fact that Like a Dragon 8, or to them, Yakuza 8 is set for a 2024 launch date and will still be released on consoles that dropped in 2013 may be a puzzling decision. For others, this means that the game will simply be playable for more people and might even become available on other platforms, such as the Nintendo Switch.
However, those who want to play the latest Yakuza titles on Nintendo Switch may be out of luck as Ryu Ga Gotoku head Masayoshi Yokoyama, has stated that the studio is hesitant to port the games to the Switch due to the console's reputation in Japan. Speaking in a roundtable interview, Yokoyama explained that the Yakuza series has an "underground feeling," something that would clash with the general tone of the games on Switch. It is believed that the Switch is something "put next to the register at a supermarket" in Japan, which implies it might not be associated with the Yakuza franchise, which has a good deal of violence and adult themes.
According to Yokoyama, the studio is hesitant to put a game where the player is "picking a fight with the world" onto the Switch. For some, this may seem like a confusing idea, especially considering that violent titles like Mortal Kombat 11 and DOOM have made their way to Nintendo hardware. However, it appears that the image of the Switch in Japan is still associated heavily with the more lighthearted franchises that Nintendo produces such as Super Mario and Kirby. Beyond the console's reputation, Yokoyama mentioned that there's also a question of whether the Yakuza games could even run on the Switch.
It seems, then, that at least for now all the upcoming Yakuza games and the entries of the series' past will not be making their way to the Nintendo Switch. Alongside the announcement of Like a Dragon 8 at the RGG Summit, a couple of other spinoffs for the Like a Dragon franchise were revealed, such as the remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin! which marks the first time that title will be available for Western audiences. While Switch players may be feeling left out, the future holds a lot of content for Yakuza fans.
Like a Dragon 8 will release on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2024.
Source: IGN
