This year marks the 20th anniversary of the beloved Yakuza / Like a Dragon series, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is pulling out all the stops to celebrate. In a unique twist, the developer is letting fans decide what kind of official merchandise they want to see hit the market. From cult clothes to a traffic cone and even golden underwear, the options are as bizarre as the series itself.
As reported by Automaton, fans have the chance to vote on a whopping 100 different items, with RGG Studio promising to bring the top two vote-getters to life within the next two years. While the competition is listed in Japanese, fans worldwide can cast their votes on the official website.
The merchandise ranges from the more conventional, like a 20th anniversary celebration hoodie and a Yakuza-themed pencil case, to the downright quirky, reflecting the series' famously wild nature. Some standout items include the cult outfit worn by Munan Suzuki, leader of The Order of Munan Chohept Onast in Yakuza 0, the giant traffic cone Majima uses to ambush Kiryu in Yakuza Kiwami, and the intriguingly named "Puffy Gold Pants."
Other notable items up for vote include the sake Majima sips in a shack in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Akiyama's iconic gold watch, the fountain pen Kiryu uses to write to Dojima in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, the tambourine Kashiwagi plays during karaoke in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Kiryu's wrestling mask from Yakuza 3, and Saejima's prisoner uniform from Yakuza 4, among many other oddities.
The franchise is set to continue its legacy with at least one new release in its anniversary year of 2025. Fans can look forward to Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, slated for release on February 21. While RGG Studio made a significant impact with the 10th anniversary release of the beloved prequel Yakuza 0, no similar projects have been announced for later in the year yet.
Although the idea of two releases in one year might seem ambitious, RGG Studio has a proven track record of rapid development. Over the past five years, they've released Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Judgment Remastered, Lost Judgment, Like a Dragon: Ishin, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, and Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, along with two Super Monkey Ball games and an enhanced remaster of Virtua Fighter 5, totaling nine games.
