Controversy Over Yakuza Kiwami 3 Faces Backlash Over Casting
The much awaited Yakuza Kiwami 3 remake from Ryu Ga Godoku Studio head has begun to face backlash from fans and some are even calling for a boycott due to the selected actor’s history involving sexual misconduct. This news has certainly dampened the mood around the newly announced game, especially considering the tactical enhancements and combat as well as the new visuals for the original title, which has been dormant for 16 years.
Ryu Ga Godoku Studio’s new undertaking, a remake from the ground up set for release on 11th February, 2026, promises to revitalize the classic title. This however, will likely not appease the community that has been touched with a wave of criticism after Kagawa was announced as the voice actor for Goh Hamazaki.
The Source of the Controversy
The controversy stems from the selection of Kagawa as one of the new voice actors for the Yakuza Kiwami 3. For many in the Japanese theatre community Kagawa has been a household name for the last 20 years and in 2019 was accused and later admitted to sexual harassment in 2022.
Due to his privileges, his role at Toyota, where he acted as a public face of the corporation, was lost. Fans of the game are now requesting of Sega and RGG Studio’s to lift the ban on the actor. Quite a number are expressing rage at the studio for even employing Kagawa in the first place, given the degree of the accusations and his admission. A petition was opened on Change.org and, at the time of writing, the petition was close to reaching 2500 signatures.
His approach to the argument seems to be that it goes against the core principles of the series as he places it, “the Yakuza/Ryu Ga Gotoku franchise is about morality… Knowing that, it is abhorrent to knowingly hire a person who has admitted to sexual misconduct.” None of the people on the development side of the project and the people concerning the publishing side have yet to officially respond to the accusations against them.
RGG has previously dealt with similar situations involving castings: In 2019, after a drug incident, RGG Studio recast actor Pierre Taki in the video game Judgment, setting a precedent for taking action in such situations.
A Glimpse at the New Yakuza Kiwami 3
The latest reports from the Tokyo Game Show 2025, in despite the controversies, show that Yakuza Kiwami 3 is set to modernize the original title.
The Game is More Than Just a Remaster: Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a remake from the ground up. In addition to the completely new graphics, the combat systems, as well as the new cutscenes, and modern motion capture voice acting have all been refurbished.
Combat has also been improved, and combat systems received the largest changes. Kiryu is able to utilize the new Ryukyu style, and use the Okinawan tonfa and weighted chain, in addition to keeping the “Dragon of Dojima” fighting style. The new combat system is also much more refined and, compared to prior installments, carries much smoother movement and dodging.
New Features: In the new game, players will use the new “Street Surfer Mk. 0’’ to cruise around Okinawa on a Segway-like device. The device allows players to seamlessly navigate the environment. The game has new features that will elaborate personal interactions with supporting characters, as well as added a new team battle mode in which players can customize their own biker gang to battle for territory.
The Dark Ties Expansion
An all new companion game that comes with Yakuza Kiwami 3, Dark Ties, was released as a surprise announcement. This expansion allows players to take on the role of Yoshitaka Mine, the main antagonist for Yakuza 3.
Dark Ties sheds light on Mine’s past as the underworld boss, depicting his transformation from a disgraced businessman to Kiryu’s nemesis. Unlike Kiryu, Mine has a relatively different fighting style that incorporates quick boxing, technical wrestling, and other moves that enable him to leap from one enemy to the other. Another mode is his “Dark Awakening’’ which is a rage-driven buff state uniquely powerful in a way that taps rage in the calm-taped parts of his being.
Content Cuts Fuel Further Concern
Apart from the Yakuza 3 Kiwami, some fans have voiced concerns on the issues of casting.
In the interview, the developers stated that the ‘Divine Revelation’ system from the original game was never integrated. This system was viewed as the source of some of the franchise’s most entertaining moments as it allowed you to view certain objectives in the city from first person in order to gain new powers. The developers said their goal was to ‘remove superfluous components’ and improve the focus, clarity, and immersion of the core narrative.
Moreover, it seems that the Okinawa map has also been downsized and an entire block has been deleted from the original game. The original golf minigame has also been replaced by the more modern driving range. For more seasoned players, these changes do not improve their confidence in the studio’s remake strategy, especially paired with the character redesigns.
Rocky Road to Modernization
In 2016, the Yakuza Kiwami series started with an effort to modernize the early titles from the PlayStation 2. The very first Yakuza Kiwami , was based on Yakuza 0, was praised for the contemporary perspective on the series’ foundational roots, especially for adding new story elements that further developed Akira Nishikiyama’s descend as the new antagonist. It was, as expected, well received.
There is no doubt the Kiwami remakes have helped bring in new players to the franchise. For years now, Yakuza 3 has been considered one of the huge hurdles in the series with it’s poorly aged mechanics and visuals as opposed to the Kiwami remakes and the newer titles of the series. As a result, Yakuza Kiwami 3 is considered to be crucial for a balanced, polished experience for players who choose to play the series in order.
A Community Divided
Yakuza Kiwami 3 has, in one way, split the fanbase in twain. The additional features of the third installment to the game series has Yu Kiwami 3, has the game for the rest of the series modernized? What did he add? The Dark Ties DLC, which, to be honest, is really cool. The villain additions also provide a great value to it.
In the opposite perspective, the social issues, which caste Teruyuki Kagawa, plus the removal of content on the original game has turned a good chunk of the fanbase off completely. The original game is a bit more popular than the Kiwami series, and the fact that Kagawa Teruyuki’s casting is more than bothersome. The casting is one aspect to the larger Kagawa controversy that is making strides for a lot of anger in the game. A boycott in this case speaks for a lot of the needs for more social awareness in the game.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 to be released in February 2026 is something people are really paying attention to. The goal is for RGG Studio along with Sega to really help the fanbase. A modern game should help with the modern issues that need to be creative in a classic game. How much of the classic game has to be ignored tho to make ethical choices for the people producing this game?
Source: https://gamerant.com/yakuza-kiwami-3-actor-sexual-harassment-accusation-player-response/
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