What Is Yakuza (Like a Dragon)? RGG Studio's Genre-Bending Crime Saga, Explained by Marine

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Fifteen years into brawling combat as its trademark, this series threw it all out — and the gamble paid off.

From Brawler to Turn-Based RPG

RGG Studio's Yakuza series debuted December 8, 2005, from SEGA, created by Toshihiro Nagoshi. The 2020 entry "Yakuza: Like a Dragon" introduced new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga and replaced the series' trademark brawling combat with a turn-based RPG system, successfully drawing in new JRPG fans.

A New Era Under New Leadership

Nagoshi departed SEGA in 2021 to found his own studio; Masayoshi Yokoyama now leads RGG Studio. "Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties" released February 12, 2026, and Summer Game Fest 2026 revealed new titles "Stranger Than Heaven" and "Virtua Fighter CROSSROADS."

What To Know

The series' willingness to completely overhaul its core combat system in 2020, after 15 years of brawling gameplay being its trademark, is a rare example of a long-running franchise successfully reinventing its fundamental genre rather than just iterating on a formula.

The franchise's international rebrand from "Yakuza" to "Like a Dragon" (used for newer titles) reflects a deliberate localization strategy distinguishing the series' tone from real organized-crime associations for global audiences, while the original Japanese name remains unchanged domestically.

What Fans Are Saying

• "Switching to turn-based RPG combat after 15 years was such a bold move."
• "Ichiban Kasuga is such a great new protagonist."
• "Excited for Stranger Than Heaven."

Original Japanese

• 「15年続いた戦闘スタイルを変えるのは本当に大胆な決断でしたね」
• 「春日一番は素晴らしい新主人公だと思います」
• 「Stranger Than Heavenが楽しみです」

Easy Japanese

「龍が如く」は、2005年に始まったセガのゲームシリーズです。2020年の作品で、戦い方が大きく変わりました。