Shenmue 3 has a letter to fans from Yu Suzuki, and he's already talking Shenmue 4

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Suzuki pledges to "never give up" on Shenmue

(Image credit: Ys Net / Koch Media)

It might be hard to believe, but Yu Suzuki is already thinking about Shenmue 4. Shenmue 3 broke the series' nearly 20-year hiatus on Tuesday, but writer and director Yu Suzuki says he has every intention to "continue to spin the tale of Ryo and his adventures in Shenmue 4."

In an in-game letter to fans (thanks VGC), Suzuki formally presents Shenmue 3 and thanks fans for their support. The project's Kickstarter campaign raised over $7 million across roughly 81,000 backers, with additional funding from Sony and Deep Silver.

Suzuki goes on to provide some reasoning for the exceptionally long wait, explaining that Shenmue 3 wound up being a bigger project than he initially envisioned. He also mentions the studio's success making Shenmue 3 feel distinctly Shenmue, something GamesRadar's Shenmue 3 hands-on preview expands upon in detail.

Finally, Suzuki looks to the future, promising to "never give up on my own personal journey to complete its story." 

"I sincerely hope that, together, we can continue to spin the tale of Ryo and his adventures in Shenmue 4," Suzuki writes.

Of course, just because one sequel took 18 years to happen doesn't necessarily mean fans will wait so long for the next entry, but it does set a precedent that must be daunting to consider. Thankfully, Shenmue 3 has only just released and from the sound of GamesRadar's review-in-progress, fans looking for an authentic Shenmue experience should be pleased.

If you're holding out for a discount on Shenmue 3, keep an eye on our guide to the best Black Friday game deals. 

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.