Yakuza Kiwami 3 Mod Restores Original Face and Voice Following Actor Controversy
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
A new PC mod for Yakuza Kiwami 3 removes actor Teruyuki Kagawa's likeness from secondary villain Goh Hamazaki following community backlash over historical sexual assault allegations, restoring the character's original 2009 appearance and paving the way for further audio and visual restorations.
The modding community is stepping in to address player concerns regarding Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties. A new PC mod by creator Subcio060 replaces the in-game model for secondary villain Goh Hamazaki, removing the likeness of actor Teruyuki Kagawa. Kagawa's inclusion in the remake drew significant fan backlash following a 2022 report by Shukan Shincho detailing sexual assault allegations against the actor, an issue that resurfaced when game director Ryosuke Horii recently defended the casting choice by stating the team wanted an actor who projected a genuinely unsettling presence.
The new modification, spotted by TheGamer and covered by Rock Paper Shotgun, swaps Kagawa's likeness for Hamazaki's original 2009 appearance from the PlayStation 3 release. While the current version of the mod focuses primarily on the in-game character model, the creator has ambitious plans for future updates. These include restoring the original voice lines performed by Joji Takahashi, implementing matching facial animations, and addressing pre-rendered cutscenes.
Tackling these deeper changes will require significant effort, especially given that Kiwami 3 features a completely different ending and narrative arc compared to the original release. However, dedicated modders have a history of reshaping controversial developer decisions to better align with community preferences. Players looking to try out the modification will need to run it through the Shin Ryu Mod Manager, highlighting the ongoing role PC modding plays in shaping the player experience outside of official studio updates.
Tags: Yakuza Kiwami 3, PC Gaming, Modding, RGG Studio, Gaming News
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun