Skip to main content

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the series’ most absurd game yet

Goro Majima stands with a crew in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
Sega

Sega announced that the next game in the Like a Dragon (formerly known as Yakuza) series will be Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Yes, you read that title right.

The game was revealed, and we learned more about it, during RGG Summit 24 on Friday morning. Launching on February 28, 2025, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii takes cues from 2024’s Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Here, the spinoff’s focus is on the eccentric Goro Majima, who loses his memory and gets swept up in what Sega calls a “pirate yakuza adventure.” Its reveal trailer gives a deep dive into its story, which begins with Majima washing up on the shores of Rich Island and being discovered by a young boy named Noah.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii | Announce Trailer

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will let players assemble a pirate crew and sail the seas around Hawaii, although we’ve yet to see gameplay of that. Sega is promising real-time battles between enemy ships, as well as islands with hidden treasure to discover. When Majima is on land, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii features action-focused combat, with Majima being able to switch between the Mad Dog and Sea Dog combat styles during battle.

Recommended Videos

So far, three main locales have been confirmed for Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. There’s Rich Island, where Majima washes ashore. Honolulu will return after first appearing in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Majima will also visit Madlantis, a ship graveyard-turned-pirate haven run by a lady named Queen Michele. Sega also confirmed that the quirky minigames this series is known for will return in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii; so far, Crazy Delivery, Dragon Card, Karaoke, and Minato Girls have been revealed. For an even more in-depth look at the game, watch the full RGG Summit 2024 stream:

RGG Summit 2024

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii launches for PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 28, 2025. It will cost $60, which is more than The Man Who Erased His Name’s typical retail price, but lower than Infinite Wealth’s.

Tomas Franzese
A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Don’t start Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth without playing this Xbox Game Pass title first
Kiryu listens to a message in his earpiece in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.

The entire Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series is available as part of the Xbox Game Pass catalog, so you might be scratching your head wondering where to start. With Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth launching in a couple of weeks and shaping up to be “the series’ ultimate climax," the pressure is on to get into the series soon. Although every Like a Dragon game is worth a playthrough at some point for those who love crime dramas and video games with wild narratives, if you can only play one this month before Infinite Wealth launches, make it Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.

This isn't the best game in the series; I gave it a three-star review when it launched in November. Despite that, I recognize that multiple factors make Like a Dragon Gaiden the perfect game in the series to get into before you play Infinite Wealth. And as a day-one Xbox Game Pass release, this two-month-old title cements itself as a must-play this month.

Read more
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will make you cry tears of laughter and sorrow
Two Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth heroes perform a tag team attack.

Before I got into the Like a Dragon series (or Yakuza, as it was still known at the time), I watched from the sidelines with bewildered curiosity. I assumed it was a simple crime game, but every once and a while, I’d catch a wild clip of a goofy cabaret minigame or impassioned karaoke performance and realize I knew absolutely nothing about the series. I finally learned about its eccentric, soap opera glory with 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon, but I can’t imagine how those still looking in from the outside will react to everything I’m about to write about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

A few months back, I was invited to a marathon hands-on session that had me playing several hours of the upcoming RPG. It seemed like overkill on paper, but after 90 minutes, it became clear why Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio had insisted on showing off such a sizable chunk of hands-on gameplay. In a series known for its flurry of creative gameplay swings, Infinite Wealth is already, by far, the most unpredictable installment yet.

Read more
You have to see this chaotic Like a Dragon-themed wrestling match
Kiryu punches an enemy in Yakuza style in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name.

You HAVE to see this! LIKE A DRAGON GAIDEN STREET FIGHT presented by Sega! | 11/15/23 AEW Dynamite

In a surprising partnership, Sega teamed up with All Elite Wrestling on Wednesday, November 15 for a Like a Dragon-themed wrestling match. It was every bit as chaotic as you're probably imagining.

Read more