In an interview with the Japanese gaming outlet Famitsu, SEGA’s video game producer/designer Toshihiro Nagoshi confirmed that Yakuza 6 will be the end of Kazuma Kiryu’s story.
Thanks to the Yakuza Fan website, the interview between Famitsu and Nagoshi was able to be translated for those of us who can’t read Japanese. The interview in question has plenty of information to absorb and ponder until Yakuza 6 launches for the states sometime in 2017.
Kazuma Kiryu has been a mainstay protagonist in the Yakuza series since its initial release back in 2005. For some, this potentially permanent departure of Kiryu may just be as heavy of an impact as when Nathan Drake’s story came to a close in Uncharted 4.
“I’ve always thought that we had to make a sequel that would be wholly accepted by those who had played RGG5. In order to do that, we decided to completely depict Kazuma Kiryu the man anew, and in doing so settle things. That’s why it’s “the final chapter in the legend of Kazuma Kiryu”.
It goes without saying but the Yakuza series has a deep and complex storyline to follow, which is why many of these characters are beloved. With Kiryu’s story coming to its conclusion, does this mean the Yakuza series is also coming to a close as well? That remains to be seen, though Nagoshi does make a pretty peculiar statement that could get Yakuza fans emotional.
“Usually – for example, right around this time as we’re making RGG6 = the staff generally have at least a bit of discussion amongst themselves about what we might do with RGG7. This time, though, there’s been nothing like that at all.”
Now, this doesn’t mean the Yakuza series is done for. Maybe the staff thinks Yakuza could use a break or another spinoff like Yakuza: Dead Souls. On the other hand, Yakuza 6 could really be the end of it all and with the game releasing in Japan 11 years to the day when Yakuza first debuted, it would make for a very poetic end.
Also, it became known that Yakuza 6 will take place in Hiroshima and apparently, the city ties into the game’s story as well.
Yakuza 6 launches in Japan on December 8th, 2016. The rest of us have to wait until 2017 before we can experience Kazuma Kiryu’s closing arc.
