Sega has been breaking Yakuza free of its Sony chains, bringing the one-of-a-kind series to numerous platforms. Several Yakuza games have made it to Xbox and PC, in addition to their once exclusive PlayStation home. Yakuza: Like a Dragon is the most inclusive installment yet, spanning more platforms than any installment before it. But the question remains: is the 7th mainline Yakuza entry heading to Nintendo Switch?
Despite hitting current and next gen consoles under Microsoft and Sony as well as PC, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is not making the jump to the Switch. And the odds of Sega changing their mind aren’t looking too promising… for now.
Series producer Daisuke Sato didn’t believe the Switch was a good fit for Yakuza when asked back in 2018, claiming it was not an “ideal platform.” The reasoning behind the statement was due to Sato’s belief that Switch owners are “used to different games.” Given the continued third-party support for the Switch on notable titles, I can’t say I agree.
The tone didn’t change much a year later during an interview with Yakuza creator and director, Toshihiro Nagoshi. The idea of a Switch release came up once again and Nagoshi responded saying he hadn’t considered it at the moment. While far from a hopeful statement, it is a smidge better than saying the console isn’t ideal.
Who knows what the future will bring with Yakuza’s growing Western interest, but for now it looks like the Switch will be going without Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
