Those waiting for one of the most anticipated sequels of all time won’t be seeing it at E3 2017.
In the form of an email blast developers Ys Net, Shenmue III will not be at the show. The statement, which was shared by Twitter User Wario 64, says the team is dedicating June to game development. Still, for those who are salivating at anything Shenmue, the studio does intend to continue their monthly YouTube updates.
Shenmue III is one of the most anticipated games ever. As a sequel to a pair of Dreamcast classics, fans have been waiting since 2001 for a definitive conclusion to what was once considered to be an epic anthology. Following Sega’s financial issues in the early part of the last decade— which caused them to back out of the console market entirely to focus on publishing— Shenmue fans wondered what to make of a series that the former console manufacturer marketed as a game changer.
That all changed at E3 2015 when Sony brought out series creator Yu Suzuki to announce the title could happen and would be funded, at least partially, through Kickstarter. Fans jumped at the opportunity fund the game, initially overwhelming the crowdfunding services’ servers, causing the site to crash.