Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the Sega developer behind the Like A Dragon (formerly Yakuza in the West) and Judgment series, will hold RGG Summit, its own developer showcase, next week. The good news for fans in Australia and New Zealand is that RGG Summit will kick off at a reasonable hour, making it one of only a handful of showcases in June to do so.
There’s no word on what the studio plans to bring to RGG Summit. Its most recent release, February’s Like A Dragon: Ishin!! was a remake of an older game in the series, a period piece that cast franchise regulars in historic roles. What the studio has up its sleeve now is anyone’s guess, though it should be expected that a follow-up to 2020’s Yakuza: Like A Dragon (a game that has been in production for some time). Lost Judgment, the sequel to the outstanding detective yarn Judgment, could quite match the success of the original (and later ran into problems retaining its lead actor), so it’s harder to say whether that series will return, or transform into something else.
It could also be a litmus test on how well Ishin!! performed globally, should Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announce remakes of the other samurai-themed games in the series.
For those that have not played them, the Like A Dragon games are Japanese crime dramas mostly set in the bustling Tokyo district of Kamurocho. While the in-game district is not real, it is modeled faithfully on Kabukicho, Tokyo’s real-life entertainment and red-light district. The mainline games have mostly followed a character named Kazuma Kiryu, a former Yakuza strongman desperate to live a normal life. 2020’s Yakuza: Like A Dragon rebooted the series as a turn-based RPG with a new lead, Ichiban Kasuga. There’s a lot going on in every Like A Dragon game, but what they are most known for are their enthralling mafia stories, strong character work, and beautifully weird mini-games designed to cut the tension and give the player a break.
If you haven’t played the Like A Dragon games before, I would like to strongly urge you to make time for them.
For those already under the spell of this series, here’s where you can find out what’s coming next.
Get ready for RGG Summit Summer 2023!
📅 June 15
⏰ 11PM ET / 8PM PT
📺 Stay tuned for live stream details#RGGStudio#RGGSummitSummer2023 pic.twitter.com/01WYJ4uAqI— RGG Studio (@RGGStudio) May 28, 2023
When to watch the RGG Summit in Australia and New Zealand
The RGG Summit kicks off on Friday, June 16, 2023. Because the show is being held on Japanese time, it’s a rare case of a showcase happening at a reasonable hour in Australia and New Zealand, and the middle of the night for the Americans. Here’s when to see it in your neck of the woods:
ACT, NSW, QLD, TAS, VIC
1:00 PM AEST
NT, SA
12:30 PM ACST
WA
11:00 AM AWST
NZ
3:00 PM NZST
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