Yakuza Kiwami 3 Officially Announced for 2026 Release with Bonus Spinoff Following an accidental leak last week, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has officially confirmed the development of Yakuza Kiwami 3. The announcement was made during the developer’s recent RGG Summit presentation. This new title continues the tradition of the Kiwami series, which delivers full remakes of earlier games in the Yakuza franchise. Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a complete, ground-up remake of the 2009 PlayStation 3 game, Yakuza 3. The development team is rebuilding the game with modern graphics, enhanced combat and gameplay systems, and adding new cutscenes to the story. The narrative follows Kazuma Kiryu, who has stepped away from his life as a legendary yakuza to manage an orphanage. This part of Kiryu’s story establishes characters and relationships that become crucial in later series entries. A significant part of the announcement is that Yakuza Kiwami 3 will include a free, brand-new spinoff game titled Dark Ties. This additional game will focus on the backstory of Yoshitaka Mine, who serves as the primary antagonist in Yakuza 3. The release date for Yakuza Kiwami 3 and its bundled Dark Ties spinoff is set for February 12, 2026. The game will be available on a wide range of platforms including PS4, PS5, Xbox consoles, and PC via Steam. Notably, it is also confirmed for release on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. In preparation, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio also announced that the previous remakes, Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, will be coming to the Switch 2 later this year. In other news from the RGG Summit, the studio provided a brief update on its next major project, Stranger Than Heaven. Details remain scarce, but it is confirmed to be a new title separate from the Like a Dragon and Judgement series. The game is set across multiple time periods during the 20th century. A new behind-the-scenes trailer offered glimpses of in-game footage and motion capture work, though the game is still several years away from release. Additionally, the studio announced that Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, an expanded version of the highly-regarded prequel, will be coming to PS5, Xbox, and PC on December 8. This version had previously been exclusive to the Switch 2. There was no new information on the next mainline Like a Dragon game, following the release of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii earlier this year.
