Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, a day one title for Xbox Game Pass

Microsoft has announced that Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will be released on November 9th this year as a Day One Game Pass title for Xbox and Windows PC. The historical Yakuza spinoff Like a Dragon: Ishin! will also join the subscription service later this year.

“If you play this game, you will enjoy the next game Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth even more,” said Masayoshi Yokowama, director of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, during an appearance on the Xbox Tokyo Games Show broadcast.

“It also allows you to understand what kind of man Kazuma Kiryu is, his way of life and his personality,” Yokowama continued. “Therefore, this work is a good introduction even for those who have never touched the series.” Like a Dragon Gaiden picks up Kiryu’s story after the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, at a time when the legendary Yakuza was forced to fake his own death to protect his family’s life.

Yokowama also announced that historical, action-packed Yakuza spinoff Like a Dragon: Ishin will be joining Game Pass later this year, although the exact date has yet to be announced. In IGN’s 7/10 review, we concluded that “No matter how you slice it, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a fun and interesting spin-off to the Yakuza series, but not an essential one.”

The Yakuza franchise has been around for over 20 years at this point, making it an impressive prospect for aspiring fans looking to get into the series. Fans looking to embark on their very own Yakuza odyssey would do well to check out IGN’s guide on how to play the games in chronological order, and make good use of our extensive guides and interactive maps.

While you’re at it, be sure to check out IGN’s recap of everything announced during the Xbox Digital Broadcast at Tokyo Game Show 2023.

Anthony is a freelance writer who covers science and video game news for IGN. He has over eight years of experience reporting on groundbreaking developments in various scientific fields and has absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer