Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be released in January next year

Fans of Like A Dragon have much to anticipate in the next six months, as two exciting titles are on the horizon. Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is the first game set to release on November 9th of this year. Up until now, we hadn't received a release date for Ichiban's next adventure in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios has announced that the game will be released on January 26th of next year.

In addition to the announcement of a release date, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios has also unveiled a rather lengthy new trailer that showcases various new plot details, including what Ichiban Kasuga is up to in Hawaii. It turns out that Ichiban has been tasked with tracking down his mother, whom he knows to be somewhere in Hawaii, with only a random necklace as the sole clue.

It's a rather typical Yakuza story, and only Ichiban Kasuga would venture to another country in the faint hope of encountering his mother there. It is also shown that the rest of the gang is joining him, including Kiryu, and we get to see recurring characters such as Nanba, Saeko, and Adachi for the first time. We also catch a glimpse of some of the game's antagonists, who exhibit distinct appearances and styles.

However, the biggest bombshell comes in relation to Kiryu, as the secret behind his new appearance is also unveiled. In the middle of the trailer, Kiryu confesses that he has actually been battling cancer for some time and, against his doctor's orders, has resumed his typically chaotic activities. Instead of resting, Kiryu chooses to "make use of the remaining time" by assisting Ichiban Kasuga and various other Yakuza-related issues.

As for the gameplay, the trailer didn't reveal too much, but there are certain things we can deduce from it. We know that karaoke is making a comeback and that Kiryu once again takes the microphone, thanks to a brief scene in the karaoke bar in Yokohama. This also means that Hawaii won't be the only destination we'll visit in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. It's likely that we'll be able to switch between the two locations, as seen in previous titles.

And in case there's still any confusion, we also confirmed during the RGG Summit panel after the trailer's release that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be turn-based, just like Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and that Kiryu, due to his condition, now has to rely on his friends in battle.