RGG accidentally let the cat out of the bag a little early last week when it added news about Yakuza Kiwami 3 to its website a little early. The remake of the third game in the series has now been confirmed, but what didn’t leak early was the reveal that Yakuza’s third Kiwami game will come packaged with an entirely new spinoff, Yakuza 3 Gaiden: Dark Ties.
The Yakuza studio confirmed the news about Kiwami 3 during its annual RGG Summit in the early hours of Wednesday morning. While confirmation that Yakuza 3 will be getting the Kiwami treatment is exciting – particularly since it’s been seven years since the launch of Yakuza Kiwami 2 – due to that info leaking early, it was the reveal of its accompanying spinoff that really grabbed Yakuza fans’ attention.
Somehow, We’re Getting More New Yakuza In Less Than Six Months
Yakuza 3 Gaiden: Dark Ties will take place in the same version of Kamurocho as Yakuza 3, the big twist being that you’ll have to play as Mine instead of Kiryu. Mine is the primary antagonist in Yakuza 3, giving you the chance to assume the role of the third game’s villain and see its world through his eyes.
It’s not just a game where you play through the events of Yakuza 3 as Mine, either. It’s a prequel set before the events of Yakuza 3, telling the story of how Mine got wrapped up in Kamurocho’s underworld, putting him on a path to becoming Kiryu’s adversary. We know very little about it at this stage, but why do I already get the feeling this game is going to make me shed tears over someone who originally stood in Kiryu’s way?
Even though it will be an entirely separate game, the best part of all is that you won’t need to buy Dark Ties separately. It will come packaged with Yakuza Kiwami 3, but it’s not just side content or DLC. Players will be presented with the option to play Yakuza Kiwami 3 or Yakuza Gaiden 3: Dark Ties whenever they boot up the game. Think Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. Two games that, even though set in the same world, are entirely separate.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Yakuza 3 Gaiden: Dark Ties will launch together on February 12, 2026, so just a year after the release of Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii. It will be available on current-gen and last-gen platforms, including the Nintendo Switch 2, but not the original Switch.
- Released
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March 9, 2010
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Engine
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Dragon Engine
