Like a Dragon Yakuza Series Gets a Stage Play for Its 20th Anniversary
Sega announced that its Like a Dragon/Yakuza game series is getting a stage play as part of the franchise’s 20th anniversary celebrations. As part of the announcement, Sega is running a character popularity poll from October 31 through November 21, open to voters in English. The top ten characters from that poll will appear in the stage production. Results will be revealed on December 7.
The stage play is based on the story of the original Yakuza game. Sega is framing it as a lead-in to the upcoming Yakuza Kiwami 3 remake, which launches alongside a spinoff called Yakuza 3: Dark Ties. Both games come out in one package on February 12 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via Steam.
The announcement follows a busy stretch of media expansions for the franchise. The live action series Like a Dragon: Yakuza began streaming on Amazon Prime Video in October 2024. Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are both coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on November 13. Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut already launched on Switch 2 in June, adding new cutscenes, an online multiplayer mode, and a new English dub.
On the RPG side, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth launched in January 2024 and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, a Goro Majima spinoff set after Infinite Wealth, launched in February 2025. The series has kept a remarkable pace of releases while also expanding into live action and now theater.
My take: A stage play is a genuinely unexpected direction for Yakuza but it fits the series perfectly. These games have always been theatrical at heart, full of melodrama and deeply felt performances. Letting fans vote in the character roster is a smart touch too. The 20th anniversary celebrations for this franchise are shaping up to be something special.
