Like A Dragon’s fan-favorite maniac, Goro Majima finally gets his own standalone game by becoming a pirate in Hawaii!?

Like A Dragon's fan-favorite maniac, Goro Majima finally gets his own standalone game by becoming a pirate in Hawaii!?

What you need to know

  • During RGG Summit 2024, SEGA announced a new entry in the Like a Dragon franchise titled Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
  • This game will be an action-adventure affair in which players control the series’ beloved recurring character, Goro Majima, and embark on an over-the-top journey to restore his lost memories, loot buried treasure, and slice up any crook that gets in their way.
  • Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will be released on February 28, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

As a long-time fan of the Yakuza series, I can confidently say that the announcement of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has me absolutely giddy with excitement! After years of watching Goro Majima steal the show as a supporting character, it’s finally time for him to take center stage and make us laugh, cry, and cringe all over again.


On September 20, 2024, SEGA unveiled its latest RGG Summit live broadcast. This event is dedicated to announcing new games and updates for SEGA’s Like a Dragon series, and during this event, they showcased what could be the wildest addition to the franchise yet: “Like a Dragon: Yakuza at Sea – Aloha Hawaii.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii features the charismatic ex-yakuza member Goro Majima as its lead character in an action-adventure game. In this installment, players find themselves controlling Goro Majima, who mysteriously wakes up on a secluded Pacific island with no recollection of his past or identity.

Following his rescue by a youth named Noah, Goro Majima embarks on a journey to regain his forgotten past while amassing a team of allies for this thrilling sea escapade. Yet, Goro Majima is in for more than he anticipated as he and his crew will encounter contemporary pirates and become entangled in a quest to unearth an ancient, fabled treasure.

Like A Dragon's fan-favorite maniac, Goro Majima finally gets his own standalone game by becoming a pirate in Hawaii!?

In the game Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, players are given the mission to traverse different regions of the Pacific Ocean, such as Hawaii, coastal islands, pirate settlements, and more, with the objective of gathering possible crew members for your vessel and locating hidden treasures. Throughout this journey, you will encounter numerous ruthless pirates in intense sea battles and third-person combat sequences that are characteristic of the Yakuza franchise.

In this game, you’ll navigate your ship to confront and fire cannonballs at adversary ships. Then, you’ll disembark to enter hand-to-hand combat areas, where you’ll engage in brawls against numerous thugs, using the eccentric fighting techniques of Goro Majima.

With Goro Majima, dance around opponents using his signature “Mad Dog” style, swiftly striking them with a knife. Then, transition to the “Sea Dog” style for a frenzy of chaos using cutlasses, pistols, and pirate-themed weapons. Interchange between these styles during attacks to launch devastating combination moves that send enemies reeling.

After all these years, Goro Majima finally gets his solo Like a Dragon adventure.

Like A Dragon's fan-favorite maniac, Goro Majima finally gets his own standalone game by becoming a pirate in Hawaii!?

Long-time fans of the Yakuza series (Like a Dragon) must be thrilled to see Goro Majima take center stage in his own independent game, given that he’s been part of the franchise since its debut on the PlayStation 2 in 2005. For those who may not be familiar with him, Goro Majima is a recurring character within the Yakuza series.

This fellow is adored by numerous gamers due to his unruly character, offering unique and eccentric side missions, an exaggerated yet intense fighting method, and a somber, emotional backstory that resonates deeply.

In many Yakuza games, Goro Majima has been a playable character in only a few titles such as Yakuza 0, Yakuza 2, and Yakuza: Dead Souls (which is not part of the main storyline). For most of the series, he has been either a secondary protagonist or a non-playable side character. This role often positions him in contrast to the primary character, Kiryu Kazuma, who is well-known within the franchise.

In the immersive world of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, I, as a researcher, find myself embarking on an exciting, standalone journey with Goro Majima. Unlike previous installments where I’ve been sharing the stage with Kiryu Kazuma or Ichiban Kasuga, this time around, Goro is the star, allowing me to fully immerse myself in his unique and humorous escapades.

Will the inaugural solo game starring Goro Majima possess the qualities to become one of the top-tier Xbox and PC titles within the Yakuza: Like a Dragon series? Get ready to embark on an adventure with Majima’s crew in 2024, when Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii launches on February 28, 2025. The game will be available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

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2024-09-20 17:09