Yakuza / Like a Dragon Celebrates 20th Anniversary, Kiryu Fans Won't Want to Miss It

The Yakuza / Like a Dragon franchise is now officially 20 years old, and RGG Studio has produced a rather touching little video to celebrate.

Said video shows the past 20 years of a man's life, as he goes from being an overwhelmed university student to a stressed out office worker.

Granted, this doesn't sound very celebratory, but at each pivotal point in his life, he recalls words of wisdom from Kazuma Kiryu himself, and he finds the strength to push on. He's even got Kaz's chin scruff by the end of it.

It may seem crazy to think that the series has been around for so long, but then we can't forget that it's only really caught on in the west over the last decade.

It was Yakuza 0 (released in 2017 outside of Japan) that put the property on the map for many, but Kiryu's been kicking bad guys to bits since the PS2 era. Indeed, the very first Yakuza launched all the way back on the 8th December, 2005.

Yakuza / Like a Dragon has come a long way since, as evidenced by the fact that three Yakuza re-releases are out today on PS5. Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are now available on Sony's current-gen system, while Yakuza Kiwami 3 is still locked in for a 12th February 2026 launch.

How long have you been playing Yakuza / Like a Dragon games for? Did you ever think it'd become the franchise that it is today? Show us your favorite heat action in the comments section below.

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