• News

Live-action Like a Dragon: Yakuza series coming to Prime Video

Sega's acclaimed series will get a six-episode adaptation later this year.

Ozzie Mejia

June 3, 2024 8:58 PM

Sega

1

Amazon isn't done adapting big-time video game franchises for its Prime Video streaming platform just yet. Another live-action series is in the works and it's arrival is closer than anybody could have expected. On Monday evening, Amazon announced that a six-episode season based on Sega and RGG Studios' Like a Dragon: Yakuza will release on Prime Video later this year.

According to Variety, Like a Dragon: Yakuza will see Kamen Rider star Ryoma Takeuchi take on the role of Kazuma Kiryu. This adaptation of the long-running Sega series will be directed by Masaharu Take and Kengo Takimoto and will take place in 1995 and 2005, telling a story of the origins of Like a Dragon's original lead character.

"Since the day I first put pen to paper on the original 'Yakuza' script, I've never once thought about revisiting any of my work on the series," said executive producer and RGG studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama. "It's because I understand all too well the challenges and hardships that come with remaking a finished title. However, if I were ever sent to the past through some kind of cosmic joke, this is the experience I'd want to create. If I had to go through the wringer anyhow, I'd want to make the most engaging versions of Kamurochō and Kazuma Kiryu I could — and this show has it all. While the games let you experience their world through the subjective lens, this adaptation will be the ultimately objective way to enjoy the show. I have no doubt that fans of the series will be drawn to how it brings the games to life and adds new surprises. Newcomers, I'm sure will find themselves invested simply in the gritty realism of the show."

Amazon's Prime Video service has had some great success with video game adaptations this year. Fallout released in April and quickly became the service's second-most watched debut. A second season of that series is currently in development. Meanwhile, another video game adaptation, this one based on Tomb Raider, is also in active development.

As for Sega, the publisher continues to see success from the Like a Dragon series. Infinite Wealth, its latest chapter, released to strong reviews and quickly sold 1 million units.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza will hit Prime Video in two waves. The first three episodes will release on October 25 while the second half of the season will arrive on November 1. The series will be subtitled and dubbed in 30 languages.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?