Yakuza Creator Toshihiro Nagoshi's Studio Shuts Down Before Its First Game
Kiryu would have found the money.
Nagoshi Studio is officially gone, since the Tokyo studio founded by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi closed through a shareholders' resolution on October 31, according to a notice in Japan's government gazette, Kanpo, as reported by Gematsu (IGN).
That means its first game, the crime action game Gang of Dragon, may never come out.
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What was Gang of Dragon?
It was supposed to be Nagoshi's big comeback. Gang of Dragon was revealed at The Game Awards last December with a flashy trailer that looked a lot like the Yakuza games he's famous for, with gangsters, neon streets and plenty of punching. Here's that reveal trailer, which is now the only real look we may ever get.
Nagoshi started the studio in 2022 with investment from NetEase, the Chinese gaming giant, after he left Sega's Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio a year earlier (IGN).
Why did Nagoshi Studio close?
Essentially, the money ran out. Back in March, NetEase signaled that it planned to cut off funding as part of a bigger pullback from investing in studios outside China. According to Bloomberg, NetEase made that call after learning Gang of Dragon needed at least another ¥7 billion, or about $44.4 million, to be finished (IGN).
Nagoshi reportedly tried to find new investors to help buy the studio out, but he didn't have much luck. The closure became official on Halloween, less than a year after the game's big reveal.
What does this mean for Nagoshi?
That's the big unknown, since Nagoshi created Yakuza back in 2005 and led Ryu Ga Gotoku for years, so he's one of the most important names in Japanese action games. Fans have followed him for two decades, from Kamurocho karaoke to Majima's endless ambushes.
My read is that this one stings. The Yakuza games are known for heart, weird side stories and huge dramatic fights, and Gang of Dragon looked like the same energy with fresh characters. It's also another sign of how hard it's gotten for big new studios to survive without a giant publisher backing them. (Kiryu would have bought up half of Kamurocho to fund it, but real studios don't work like Yakuza 0.)
If you've never played the game that made a lot of fans fall for this series, it's the best place to start.
Were you excited for Gang of Dragon? Tell us in the comments.
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Header image is an official screenshot from Yakuza 0, from Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. In-article images are official screenshots from Yakuza 0, from Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio via Steam.
