The first glimpse of Yakuza 8 has been unveiled by several off-screen camera shots.
Earlier today on July 19, Japanese publication Famitsu published the shots you can check out below. Those pictures are of the next Yakuza games, casually giving us our very first look at the follow-up to new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga's debut outing via some blurry off-screen photography.
新作『龍が如く8』の未公開映像が格闘家・朝倉未来のYouTubeでチラ見せ。朝倉未来もゲーム内に出演決定！『龍が如く8』の詳細発表前に異例の形で映像公開。映像にはナンバや足立さんらしき姿も。春日一番はアフロではなく、後ろで髪を縛った姿に!? https://t.co/IZ6sEZI2dR pic.twitter.com/wREvVsRS2vJuly 19, 2022
What we can see in these shots are protagonist Ichiban sporting a brand new hairdo after his 80s-inspired afro in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, as well as returning sidekicks Nanba and Adachi, confirming that several members of the core group from Like a Dragon will be returning.
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The new shots are supposedly part of a Famitsu article exploring the behind-the-scenes workings of developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio as it develops the next entry in the Yakuza franchise. Additionally, there's also the video just below, presented by MMA fighter Mikura Asakura touring the developer's offices, where the host reveals he'll actually be appearing in the new game.
This might be our first look at the new Yakuza games, but it's not the first time it's been openly discussed. In May 2021, just over half a year after Yakuza: Like a Dragon launched in the West, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio confirmed all future Yakuza games would be adopting the turn-based strategy battle system used by Like a Dragon.
Later in November, RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama confirmed that a new game in the Yakuza series was in active development, in the aftermath of previous studio head Toshihiro Nagoshi departing. There's no word on when this new game might launch, but if RGG Studio is showing it off to a publication, you've got to imagine a grand unveiling isn't too far off on the horizon.
Check out our upcoming PS5 games for a complete list of all the other titles coming to Sony's new-gen console.
