Like a Dragon Gaiden trailer has Kiryu a broken man

(Image credit: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio)

A new trailer for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name just dropped, and everyone's very concerned over Kiryu breaking down.

Earlier today on August 18, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio debuted the new trailer for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, seen just below. The trailer sets up the overarching story for Kiryu's next adventure, as he's beckoned out of hiding for a top-secret mission, but it's the few seconds at the three minutes and 19 seconds mark that's got all the Kiryu fans out there real worried.

We can see a good few seconds of Kiryu weeping like he's never wept before, as captured by the Reddit screenshots just below. This game might be "fire," but it remains to be seen just what's going to happen to cause Kiryu to utterly break down like this.

This is so heartbreaking in man... This game is going to be fire. (Potential Gaiden spoilers) from r/yakuzagames

"YOKOHAMA WHAT DID YOU DO TO KIRYU," reads one comment pointed at RGG Studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama. "I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM THIS BROKEN SINCE YAKUZA 3 WHAT THE HELL." It's a fair point - Kiryu hasn't openly wept in despair like this since Rikiya's death near the end of Yakuza 3, an event that threatened to send him completely over the edge.

"Seeing this messed me up ngl, seeing Kiryu finally breakdown after all the shit he’s been through just hurts so much, let my boy be happy," reads another Reddit comment. We can't help but agree with this sentiment, in all honesty - Yakuza 6: The Song of Life's end implied Kiryu was done for good with the whole Yakuza business, but this new trailer has him hurting more than ever.

The mystery on everyone's lips right now is: what the hell happens to Kiryu? We don't have too long to wait to find out, because Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name launches later this year on November 9 for PC and new and last-gen consoles alike.

Check out our new games 2023 guide for a complete look at all the other titles launching towards the end of the year.

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.