Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the longest Yakuza game yet: "If you go at it continuously, you'll get sick"

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
(Image credit: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio)

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be the longest Yakuza game to date.

In a new interview with Game Watch (and translated by Automaton Media), Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama dubbed Infinite Wealth a "monster-class game longer than anything we’ve made so far," and something that can't be completed in just one or two all-nighters.

"This means that a lot of people are going to hesitate to play the game or will end up having it wait on their shelves. I found the possibility of that kind of outcome sad, so I thought, we have to get everyone hyped up enough to play it," Yokoyama added of Infinite Wealth's length.

"We have to get people to play the game in about a week or a month, even at the cost of their health, which is why it’s our duty as creators to generate enough to be excited about. I've thought this way for the past year or two – for a game like Infinite Wealth, we have to get a festival going on. It would feel kind of rude to just drop such a long game and be done with it," Yokoyama continued with a laugh.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth being the longest Yakuza game to date is saying something. 2020's Like a Dragon could easily run for over 50 hours, by the time you were all said and done with the grind, and a lot of the previous Kiryu-led Yakuza games could last anywhere between 20 and 30 hours, even if you were sticking religiously to the main story.

The prospect of Infinite Wealth not only being the longest Yakuza game, but also folding in huge elements like the Animal Crossing-style island, is a lot to take. It's understandable to see why Yokoyama feels a lot of people will get put off from such a long game, but it's also easy to see why he feels like he needs to get people heated enough to play the entire thing.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth's demo is out now, but only if you bag a copy of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. You can read up on our full Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth preview to see why we called it one of the most ridiculous JRPGs we've ever played. 

Infinite Wealth also resurrects one of Yakuza's best characters - but they may be confined to a tiny role. 

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Read more
Goro Majima performing an attack during the upcoming PS5 game, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza is longer than the last Yakuza spin-off, but it's not the dev's fault: "The volume increased by itself"
Majima sings karaoke in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
I spent 15 hours clearing a recycled map I'd already explored and loved every second – Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a greatest hits album and then some
Big in 2025 - Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii header image showing Goro Majima and ship combat
10 years since last being a full protagonist, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii turns Majima into a swashbuckling Spider-Man
A trackers alliance agent cocks her head to the side as she tries to entice you to join the organisation
Former Starfield lead says "people are fatigued" with huge games, and "I'm sorry" because "part of what happened is the success of games like Skyrim and Fallout 4"
Ichiban Kasuga grapples with Yutaka Yamai in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
The best Yakuza games, ranked
Goro Majima takes the helm of his ship in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review: "Sun, surf, and treasure hunting takes the series to new places at the right time"
Latest in RPG
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing companion Shadowheart, a young half-elf woman with long tied-back black hair
Baldur's Gate 3 animation impresses Larian Studios, prompting one dev to say "mature" animation of the RPG "would pop the f*** off"
Undertale
As the wait for more Deltarune continues, Undertale goes on sale for just $1 on Steam and reaches a new peak player count after 10 years
Concept art of the Arkavir, a bulky alien race from Exodus with sharp and scaley skin.
Mass Effect veteran's new sci-fi RPG Exodus introduces an alien race, and they're so hardcore they put the Krogans to shame
Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Zero Dawn star Ashly Burch responds to Sony's controversial AI Aloy by pushing for actor protections: "You have to compensate us fairly, and you have to tell us how you're using this AI"
The Elder Scrolls' Oblivion's most annoying fan holds a torch
Oblivion remake leaks suggest Skyrim's cooler sibling is making a comeback, but I'm worried a modern makeover could bulldoze over the weirdness that makes it great
A cropped screenshot from Undertale, showing Frisk and Sans standing in Grillby's in Snowdin.
As Deltarune Chapter 3 and 4 seem closer than ever, Toby Fox's unforgettable RPG Undertale is just $1 in the Steam Spring Sale 2025 and everyone should play it
Latest in News
Palworld
"We hit this disgusting number that makes me feel sick": Palworld devs don't know why their survival game was so successful - "If we knew how to do it, we'd do it again"
Palworld
Nintendo's Palworld lawsuit "came as a shock" to Pocketpair because patent infringement was "something that no one even considered"
Palworld screenshot showing a young woman with tied-back red hair petting her Pal, a large white and purple Xenogard
Palworld dev reckons "very few companies could survive" a launch like theirs: "A lot of companies might crumble under the threats, under the pressure, under the negativity"
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
For 30 years, PC gamers have been keeping this cult classic horror game based on a 58-year-old short story to themselves, but next week it's finally coming to consoles
Colin Farrell wins Golden Globe for The Penguin
Penguin actor Colin Farrell could be going from villain to hero as the star of DC's Sgt. Rock movie
A screenshot from No Man's Sky showing someone in a space suit stood amongst futuristic-looking architecture.
No Man's Sky programmer shares the "first 3D world" he co-created at 18 years old, which was "a foundational step for me from there to No Man's Sky"