Yakuza Kiwami’s Success on Switch Signals Need to End a Series Tradition

For most of its history, the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series was a staple of the PlayStation platform. Nearly all mainline games and various spin-offs, from the original Yakuza in 2005 to Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, had their initial launches on Sony’s consoles. However, in recent years, Sega, the series’ publisher, has been increasingly exploring a multiplatform strategy for this long-running series. In 2019, they kicked things off by bringing Yakuza Kiwami, a remake previously exclusive to the PS4, to Windows PCs. By 2020 and 2021, virtually every Like a Dragon title from the PS4 library could be found on both PC and Xbox One.

Fast forward to today, and the Like a Dragon games now launch simultaneously across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms. Sadly, Nintendo fans mostly remain out of the loop. Despite Sega’s recent decision to port Yakuza Kiwami to the Switch, other Like a Dragon titles aren’t following suit, including new releases like Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, which are bypassing the Switch altogether. While the series still has a journey before it’s fully accessible on Nintendo systems, the positive reception of Yakuza Kiwami on the Switch might just nudge Sega towards launching future titles on Nintendo platforms from the get-go.

Interestingly, the idea of seeing Like a Dragon games on the Nintendo Switch once seemed outlandish to the folks at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. The Switch holds the incredible achievement of over 146 million units sold by November 2024, but that didn’t sway the studio for quite some time. Back in 2022, Masoyoshi Yokoyama, head of the studio responsible for Like a Dragon, shared a rather eye-opening perspective. He expressed that there was internal hesitation about bringing the games to the Switch because they perceived it as a “kid-friendly” console, which contrasted with their mature-themed games. Yokoyama described his team as “people of the night world,” implying a misfit fit for their series with the younger demographics typically associated with Nintendo.

This reasoning seemed a bit off, especially since the Switch has no shortage of adult-oriented games. Yet, Yokoyama did acknowledge that perceptions were shifting, hinting that a future might exist where Like a Dragon could find its place on the Nintendo platform. Now with Yakuza Kiwami successfully making its mark, it’s evident that his earlier assumptions were perhaps misplaced. The game’s sales on the Switch are reportedly brisk, demonstrating that the appetite for these mature titles exists on Nintendo’s console.

After launching Yakuza Kiwami on the Switch, Sega took an interesting step by querying fans through a survey about their interest in seeing more Like a Dragon games on the platform. This move suggests they may be gearing up for additional Switch releases of Ryu Ga Gotoku’s acclaimed titles. It would certainly please fans to see earlier gems like Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Kiwami 2 make the leap to the Switch. However, these staggered releases might not fully capitalize on the console’s audience. For Sega to truly embrace the Nintendo market, it would need to consider simultaneous launches for new titles.

Ideally, Sega could aim for day-one releases on the Switch for upcoming games like Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. This title is set for a February 2025 release on PS4 and Xbox One, and with clever optimization, it might be feasible on the Switch as well. Even if technical challenges arise, Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio should look to the potential of a Switch 2, paralleling their efforts on PlayStation and Xbox consoles to ensure fans can engage with their stories no matter what platform they choose.