Yakuza director celebrates the growing acceptance of the Like a Dragon series, noting that some developers previously hid their involvement from family and friends.

Masayoshi Yokoyama, the producer behind the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, takes pride in the fact that fans can now openly celebrate their love for the franchise.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Yakuza series has come a long way since its debut in Japan on December 8, 2005. What started as a modest title has transformed into a gaming juggernaut, with new releases dropping almost every year—sometimes even three in a single year, as seen between February 2023 and February 2024. The series has cultivated a massive global fanbase, despite initially skipping English releases for several entries.

In a conversation with an outlet, Yokoyama reflected on the series’ evolution over the past two decades. He noted that he is most proud of how “people can finally say they enjoy the Like a Dragon series more openly.” He elaborated, “In the past, it wasn’t something you could really say out loud; its reputation and brand image made it hard to talk about publicly. Back in the early days, even some of the studio developers kept their involvement a secret from their parents or girlfriends.”

This perception began to shift over time. Yokoyama shared that “about ten years in, more staff began proudly acknowledging their work on the series,” even recalling a story where being part of the project helped someone gain approval for marriage from their partner’s parents. This moment highlighted how significantly the series’ presence and public perception had changed.

While Yokoyama didn’t delve into the specifics of why the series was once a sensitive topic, it likely stemmed from the association with the Japanese Yakuza, rather than the outlandish scenarios players encounter, like brawling with men dressed as babies. Even though Kiryu embodies a strong moral compass and rarely engages in crime, it’s understandable why playing as a character linked to organized crime might have been a tough sell, especially considering the backlash surrounding titles like Rockstar’s Bully shortly after.