Sega is asking Yakuza/Like a Dragon fans if they want celebrities such as Keanu Reeves, Mark Hamill, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and more in upcoming games.
Reddit user JohnConquest shared an email they received from Sega asking their feelings about franchises such as Crazy Taxi and Persona. When it came to Yakuza/Like a Dragon, it also asked how celebrity cameos affect player enjoyment and if they’d be interested in a long list of stars appearing in future games.
Alongside video game adjacent stars such as Reeves, Hamill, Jack Black, Rami Malek, and David Hayter came actors who’ve previously appeared in the franchise including Matthew Mercer (who played Goro Majima in Yakuza: Like a Dragon) and Danny Trejo (who lent his likeness and voice for Dwight Méndez in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth).
Also on the list is Aidan Gallagher from The Umbrella Academy, Hiroyuki Sanada from Shōgun, footballer Lionel Messi, WWE wrestler Xavier Woods, Hank Azaria from The Simpsons, gymnast Simone Biles, Dr. Dre, The Batman actor Robert Pattinson, Lady Gaga, baseball player Shohei Ohtani, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Fast and Furious star Vin Diesel, basketball player LeBron James, actor Seth Rogan, Kit Harington from Game of Thrones, Eminem, Ozzy Osbourne, and Billie Eilish.
Sega and Yakuza/Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio therefore appear to be testing the waters far and wide to find what fans may be interested in. Responding in the Reddit comments, some note they don’t care about cameos and prefer when RGG Studio parodies real-life people, like the Yakuza 0 character Stephen Spining, who directed Indian Jeans and A.T.
Others commented on particular inclusions which may be fun. “Ozzy Osbourne seems like the type of guy who’d make the perfect substory villain,” yungspinach123 said. “Jack Black in Like a Dragon would be wild, but somehow not the craziest thing in the series,” added Meb2x.
These cameos likely wouldn’t appear in the next Yakuza/Like a Dragon game, which is due to be debuted in September 2024 and is therefore perhaps a tad too far along in development to include a last-minute celebrity, but could be seen in games further down the line if there’s enough interest.
It’s equally possible nothing comes of this survey, of course, as it’s fairly standard practice for companies to gauge fan interest in certain ideas without planning action based on the results.
Nothing is known about the next game from RGG Studio, or even if it’s a mainline Yakuza/Like a Dragon game. It could be from spin-off series such as Like a Dragon Gaiden or Judgement or something completely separate. Sega did register a trademark for something called Yakuza Wars earlier in August, however, which caused fans to theorize if this could be the next game and what it would be about.
In our 9/10 review of the last game, IGN said: “Sprawling, enthralling, and packed with dynamic brawling, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth isn’t just the best turn-based Like a Dragon game, it’s one of the greatest games in the entire series.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
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