Shenmue 4 might have just been teased, barely two years after Shenmue 3

Publisher 110 Industries may have revealed Shenmue 4 through some very cryptic means. 

After Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki appeared during 110 Industries' 2021 Tokyo Game Show presentation, fans were left questioning what his appearance might've meant for the franchise.

Now, things are all starting to make a bit more sense, thanks to a recent Instagram post. A particular image shared to the publisher's account of its upcoming third-person action game Wanted: Dead revealed an interesting response to a fan. The eager Shenmue faithful had suggested that 110 Industries should work together with Yu Suzuki for Shenmue 4. 

110's response was quite cheeky, telling the fan to "guess" why Suzuki had made an appearance during their TGS presentation. This seemingly innocuous statement has lit something of a fire in terms of possibilities for the next Shenmue game. While there hasn't been any sort of official confirmation that Suzuki and 110 are indeed teaming up, it certainly does seem that way. 

While it's clear what this conversation implies, 110 has yet to make any sort of direct announcement about any plans to work with Suzuki. It does explain why Suzuki spent so much time with the publisher during Tokyo Game Show, however. And we do know that he's looking to make additional entries in the Shenmue series if the opportunity arises. 

If there is a fourth core entry brewing, there's no telling how long it might take to see the game come to fruition. Fans waited nearly two decades between the release of Shenmue 2 and Shenmue 3. But this time around, fans aren't waiting around in an industry devoid of Shenmue content. There's currently an animated adaptation airing on Adult Swim that retells the entirety of the first game (Shenmue the Animation), introducing a legion of new fans to the fold. 

That means it's a better time than ever to wait eternally for a new Shenmue game, even though there's still no confirmation that one's in the works.

Don't want to wait the inevitable years it'll take to hear more about Shenmue 4? Here are the best RPGs you can play right now.