The worst Yakuza game is finally getting a remake: RGG Studio accidentally leaks Yakuza Kiwami 3

RGG Studio may have leaked an upcoming Yakuza remake on its website ahead of the RRG Summit showcase next week.
In the pantheon of Yakuza / Like a Dragon, there is one game that everyone almost unanimously calls the worst mainline game, and that is 2009's Yakuza 3. The original PS3 release took out a number of minigames and side stories in the western releases, but even at its current best form as Yakuza 3 Remastered, it still leaves a bit to be desired. The story is good, but spends a lot of time and focus at Kiryu's orphanage and the kids there, which puts a bunch of people off, and the combat is often referred to as "Blockuza 3" due to how much the enemies defend themselves.
As such, a remake in the style of Yakuza Kiwami 1 and 2 has been one of most highly requested games within the Like a Dragon community. And from the looks of things, eight years on from Kiwami 2 we may finally be getting a Yakuza Kiwami 3.
it's real https://t.co/KXKDMKxhyr pic.twitter.com/4fXXFMs77HSeptember 17, 2025
As spotted by users on Twitter, the Japanese RGG Studio website has a categories section with buttons for Ryu ga Gotoku Kiwami and Kiwami 2, the Japanese titles of the first two remakes, presumably ahead of the Nintendo Switch 2 releases this November. Then there was a third button labelled Ryu ga Gotoku Kiwami 3. However, the button has since been deleted from the website.
RGG Studio is hosting the RGG Summit 2025 showcase next week on September 24, so presumably this was meant to be a surprise for next week's show before it leaked. Of course you can't say until it's officially announced, but considering the rate that RGG Studio put out games and how requested Kiwami 3 is, I can definitely see it happening.
Hopefully a Yakuza 3 remake could propel the disliked entry into the list of the best Yakuza games, do it for my boy Rikiya.
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Scott has been freelancing for over three years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on GamesRadar+ in 2024. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, VG247, Play, TechRadar, and others. He's typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that rarely (if ever) get sequels.
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