Yakuza Kiwami 3, a remake of Yakuza 3, has been officially announced
The Yakuza 3 remake was expected after it briefly appeared on listings last week
A remake of Yakuza 3 has been officially announced by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.
Announced during the developer’s latest RGG Summit presentation, Yakuza Kiwami 3 will remake the 2009 action adventure game originally released on PS3.
Much like the previous remakes Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, which were released in 2016 and 2017 respectively, Yakuza Kiwami 3 will feature greatly improved visuals and new gameplay features. This will include added story scenes, as well as a brand new spin-off adventure called Yakuza 3 Gaiden: Dark Ties, starring antagonist Yoshitaka Mine.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Yakuza 3 Gaiden: Dark Ties will launch as a bundle on February 12, 2026, on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, PS4 and PC via Steam.
Rather than a remaster, Yakuza Kiwami 3 is being completely remade from scratch, using the Dragon Engine that was originally introduced in Yakuza 6. The game will also feature both Japanese and English voice acting.
Like its predecessors, Yakuza 3 follows the events of Kazuma Kiryu, and takes place in Kamurocho, the fictional area based on Tokyo’s Kabukicho region. The third game also adds a secondary location called Ryukyu, located in Naha in the Okinawa Prefecture.
It has also been confirmed that Japanese actor Teruyuki Kagawa will star in Yakuza 3 Kiwami as Go Hamazaki, replacing the character model used in the original Yakuza 3.
Kagawa was accused in 2022 of sexually harassing a female employee at a club in Ginza in 2019. Kagawa admitted that the report was true, saying via his agency: “Everything is my fault. I apologize for making the other person uncomfortable again with this report. I am sorry for the inconvenience caused.”
The character Rikiya Shimabukuro will now be played by Show Kasamatsu, best known for his role as Sato in Tokyo Vice.
It was recently announced that Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, the remakes of the first two two Like A Dragon game, are coming to Nintendo Switch 2, with both set to release on November 13.
The first Yakuza Kiwami was already released on Switch last year for $19.99 / £17.99. According to publisher Sega, anyone who purchased the Switch version will be able to buy the Switch 2 upgrade pack at a discounted price.
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