Right, About Yakuza Kiwami 3: Did RGG Studio Just Forget the Spellbook?
AI Gaming News Author · kotaku ·
Yakuza Kiwami 3 is stirring up a storm with fans due to controversial casting, a massive amount of cut content, and retcons that undermine character legacies, leading many to question Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's direction and priorities as they replace the original game with this divisive remake.
Right, about Yakuza Kiwami 3, mate... I've been sifting through the murmurs and whispers from the gaming ether, and it feels like Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (RGG) has either pulled a classic wizarding blunder or genuinely forgotten a few pages from their spellbook. What started as whispers has turned into a proper ruckus, and frankly, longtime fans of Kiryu and the gang are not amused. It seems what was meant to be a loving homage is turning into a bit of a train wreck, causing even the most devoted devotees to question everything.
For years, RGG Studio has been stacking up goodwill like a dragon hoards gold. Even a 'meh' Yakuza game usually had enough charm to keep us grinning, full of its trademark blend of serious crime drama and utterly bonkers side activities. But with Kiwami 3, it feels like they're burning through that stored affection faster than a spellcaster misfires a fireball in a crowded tavern. Many fans are looking at this remake as a collection of errors and bad decisions, threatening to stain the series’ legacy before it’s even had a proper chance to shine.
First up, and probably the most unsettling ingredient in this particular potion, is the casting choice. There's been a storm brewing around the #RemoveKagawa movement for months, aimed squarely at actor Teruyuki Kagawa. Now, Kagawa openly admitted to sexually assaulting a woman back in 2019 – details have been reported extensively in Japan, and there are even photos circulating from the incident. So, what did RGG Studio do? Not only did they keep him as the voice of antagonist Goh Hamazaki, but they've apparently remodelled Hamazaki's in-game appearance to *resemble* Kagawa, making the character almost unrecognisable from his original Yakuza 3 and 4 design. Bloody hell. You can't unsee that, can you? Even if you play in another language, his mug’s still there, front and centre.
Game director Ryosuke Horii, bless his cotton socks, tried to justify this decision in an interview with GAME Watch (translated by IGN), saying Kagawa makes a 'believable creep' and brings a 'freshness' to the scene, even comparing his acting to 'chopping a pig's feet off with a chef's knife'. Now, I'm all for artistic vision, but that justification, mate, sounds less like a carefully crafted argument and more like an accidental portal opening to a dimension where 'problematic' equals 'perfect fit'. It's like saying, 'We needed a really terrible villain, so we hired someone who's known for being... well, a bit of a villain in real life!' It certainly raises a few eyebrows and then some. For a studio that's always championed the underdog and explored complex morality, this feels like a significant misstep, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of many.
Then there's the content itself. Word on the digital street (and from early reviewers) is that Yakuza Kiwami 3 has chopped out a staggering 88 substories from the original game, leaving a rather sparse 31. Eighty-eight! That's not just a trim; that's like taking a beloved spellbook and tearing out three-quarters of its pages, leaving only the basic cantrips. The Yakuza series thrives on its absurd, heartfelt, and often deeply human side quests, which flesh out the world and make Kiryu's adventures so memorable. It's where the heart and soul of Kamurocho (and Okinawa) truly shine.
Crucially, among the missing tales is a notable quest where Kiryu encounters and shows empathy towards a transgender woman. For a series that, despite its rough edges, has often managed to portray marginalized communities with a degree of nuance and respect, cutting such a story feels less like an upgrade and more like a step backwards into a bygone era. It dilutes the game's heart and soul, turning what was a vibrant, living world into something a bit... emptier.
And just when you thought things couldn't get any weirder, we have the 'Dark Ties' side story, meant to be Kiwami 3's shiny new addition. It's meant to flesh out antagonist Yoshitaka Mine before the main game. Sounds good, right? Well, apparently, it throws a wrench into his entire tragic sacrifice from 17 years ago with an explanation so 'comical' it actually *undermines* the character's entire arc. That's like building a grand magical tower only to discover the foundation spell was actually for a bouncy castle. What were they thinking? To pull the rug out from under such a pivotal character moment is a bold move, and by 'bold,' I mean 'potentially disastrous for narrative cohesion'.
Ashley Schofield from VGC, in her review, called Kiwami 3 a 'sad microcosm of the state of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio: a developer spinning its wheels, no longer caring for quality, content to chew up old assets and discard what made the original special.' Diego Argüello at GameSpot echoed this, noting that the remake 'cements itself as a drastic turn for the series.' And here's the kicker, folks: Sega and RGG Studio are apparently delisting the original Yakuza 3. This means Kiwami 3 is set to become the default, definitive version of the game. So, for new players, this altered, cut-down, ethically questionable version is *the* Yakuza 3 they'll experience. That's not just a travesty; it's practically a digital vanishing act, removing the original from easy access and replacing it with something many fans feel is inferior. It's like replacing a rare, powerful artefact with a cheap, mass-produced replica, and then destroying the original. What a bloody clusterfuck.
This whole saga feels like a warning sign for the industry. Yakuza, or Like a Dragon as it's now known, has soared in popularity, becoming a powerhouse for Sega. But this rise seems to have come with the creeping shadow of 'annualization'. When a franchise starts churning out titles yearly, the pressure to meet deadlines often trumps the meticulous craft that made it special in the first place. It feels like RGG is 'fixing' things that weren't broken, all in the name of a quick 2026 release. It's the classic tale of chasing profit margins over preserving artistic integrity, a spell that rarely ends well for anyone involved – especially the players.
So, where do we stand? Yakuza Kiwami 3 is shaping up to be a deeply divisive entry, pushing the goodwill of fans to its absolute limit. It's a prime example of how even beloved studios can trip over their own feet when chasing a relentless release schedule. For those of us who adore the series, this is less a celebration and more a head-scratching moment of 'what on earth just happened?' Here's hoping RGG Studio takes a long, hard look in the mirror after this and remembers the magic that made us fall in love with Kiryu's world in the first place. Otherwise, they might find their loyal fanbase performing a vanishing act of their own.
*Original article by Kenneth Shepard for Kotaku, published February 10, 2026.*
Tags: Yakuza, Gaming Remakes, Industry Controversy, RGG Studio, Game Development
Original article: kotaku