Skip to main content

Lost Judgment will reportedly be the last in the Judgment franchise

Lost Judgment might be the last in the Yakuza spinoff franchise according to a report from Nikkan Taishu that’s been translated by Kotaku. According to Nikkan Taishu, the future of the franchise was thrown into question due to a conflict between Sega and the talent agency of Takuya Kimura, the actor portraying Lost Judgment‘s protagonist.

The conflict stems from a disagreement about which platforms Lost Judgment should launch on. Nikkan Taishu has quoted an entertainment insider as saying “Those on the side of the game developer and those on the side of Johnny’s [Kimura’s talent agency] are said to have been unable to reach an agreement regarding the platforms to sell the game.” Because of this disagreement, Lost Judgment may be the end of the Judgment franchise. Lost Judgment is set to release on September 24 for PS4, Xbox One, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The main character of Lost Judgment holds a phone.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Specifically, Kimura’s talent agency, Johnny & Associates, seemingly is against Lost Judgment launching on PC. It’s worth noting that when the game was originally announced, it was going to release on Windows 10 and Steam. A Sega spokesperson later clarified that the game would not be coming to PC in an interview with PC Gamer, saying “Sega has no plans to bring Lost Judgment to PC at this time.”

Recommended Videos

Despite this, launching Lost Judgment is essential to Sega, says Nikkan Taishu. However, Johnny & Associates reportedly see releasing a game on PC differently and has historically shied away from the internet. Without this conflict being resolved, the Japanese publication claims that Lost Judgment will be the last in the franchise.

We have reached out to Sega for comment and will update this article if we receive a response.

For Yakuza fans, the loss of the Judgment franchise would be immense. The game’s developer, Ryu Ga Gotoku has recently shifted its focus for the Yakuza franchise towards more turn-based combat similar to Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The franchise’s classic beat-’em-up gameplay would still be around though, present in Judgment games. If the franchise does end after Lost Judgment, it leaves the future of beat-em-up style Yakuza games in question.

Otto Kratky
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage delayed because of Life is Strange: Double Exposure
A girl holds a camera in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.

Don't Nod decided to delay its narrative adventure game Lost Records: Bloom & Rage to early 2025 in the wake of Life is Strange: Double Exposure's announcement and imminent launch this October.

For those out of the loop, Don't Nod created the Life is Strange series with Square Enix. Although Don't Nod moved on from the series after Life is Strange 2, neither party involved stopped making narrative adventure games. Don't Nod went on to make Tell Me Why in 2020, and some Life is Strange alumni formed a new Don't Nod studio in Montreal that same year to create the Lost Records franchise.

Read more
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown to get new story DLC, Sands of Time coming in 2026
Sargon leaping with his blades and with blue streaks behind him.

[ESRB] Prince of Persia The Lost Crown - Story DLC Teaser Trailer | Ubisoft Forward

Ubisoft announced a number of updates to its current Prince of Persia series entries at its Ubisoft Forward showcase on Monday, including upcoming story DLC for its flagship title.

Read more
Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner spills details on the series’ two lost games
An illustration from Replay shows a princess next to an hourglass.

Jordan Mechner can’t stop looking backward -- and that’s not entirely by choice.

The Prince of Persia creator has found himself at the center of an accidental renaissance in the past year thanks to three separate projects lining up at once, some of which he had no hand in. First came Digital Eclipse’s The Making of Karateka, a playable documentary about Mechner’s first hit Apple II game that paved the way for Prince of Persia. That project was followed by Ubisoft’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown this January, a new installment to the series that pays homage to Mechner’s original 2D games. That past-facing stretch now caps off with Replay: Memoir of an Uprooted Family, a new graphic novel by Mechner that looks back on both his career and family history.

Read more