What you need to know
- Like a Dragon: Ishin! launched earlier in 2023 and is a remake of a Like a Dragon spin-off game that was never released outside of Japan.
- Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is an upcoming spin-off in the franchise focused on former lead Kazuma Kiryu, and is set to launch on Nov. 9, 2023.
- Both Like a Dragon: Ishin! and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name are coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2023.
If you just can't get enough of the Like a Dragon series, brace yourself, there's more coming soon.
During the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2023 livestream, Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio shared that Like a Dragon: Ishin! and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name are headed to Xbox Game Pass in 2023, with the latter getting a day one Xbox Game Pass release.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a remake of a spinoff of the series that takes place in the late Edo period in Japan. Players control protagonist Sakamoto Ryōma as he has to fight to clear his name. Like a Dragon: Ishin! first launched earlier this year on Feb. 21, 2023.
Meanwhile, the upcoming Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is another spinoff that follows former franchise lead Kazuma Kiryu. Operating as a secret agent, Kiryu is a still a brawler, but now has access to a variety of high-tech combat options with the Agent fighting style. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is slated to launch on Nov. 9, 2023, meaning it joins the ranks of games launching into Xbox Game Pass on day one.
This game is also the setup for the next mainline entry in the franchise, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, which is set to launch on Jan. 26, 2024.
Analysis: Heck yeah
It's been really interesting to watch the Like a Dragon series (formerly known as the Yakuza franchise in the western part of the world) grow and grow from something more niche to one of the exciting franchises in critical circles. While the main series has transitioned into a turn-based RPG, these spin-offs retain the brawler aspects that fans have loved, and getting that balance is great.
For Xbox players, with Like a Dragon: Ishin! coming to Xbox Game Pass, this is a great time to jump in if you missed it before, and seeing Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name hit day one is just icing on the cake.
