At the TGS 2025, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio unleashed a RGG Direct livestream on fans, revealing Yakuza Kiwami 3 is official with a new game mode called Dark Ties.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has brought another new title to TGS 2025, and this time, they’re adapting 2009’s Yakuza 3 into Yakuza Kiwami 3. The rework of the game offers not only revamped systems and fresh graphics, the third Kiwami title brings a whole new game with it. In Yakuza Kiwami 3, players can experience the brand-new tale of the antagonist, Yoshitaka Mine, from Yakuza 3 in an included separate game called Dark Ties. Dark Ties will offer the entire story from both perspectives from Yakuza 3. The announcement trailer can be seen below, courtesy of SEGA.
Along with reworked visuals and quality of life improvements, fans of the series will be happy to note Kiwami 3 includes added scenes to deliver more depth and emotion to the original story, with new and enhanced side experiences that immerse you in the world of Okinawa as Kazuma Kiryu sees it. After the events of Yakuza 2, Kiryu entrusts the future of the Tojo Clan to Daigo Dojima and relocates to Okinawa with his adoptive daughter, Haruka. There, Kiryu runs an orphanage called Morning Glory, until peace is once again brought out of balance by a government redevelopment plan that threatens Okinawa. This is where Yakuza Kiwami 3 begins.
New in-game features include a new weapon-based combat style named Ryukyu Style (named after the game’s location, Okinawa). Like every Yakuza title, there’s new side quests and activities that engage with daily life at Morning Glory. Activities include: cooking, fishing, bug-catching, other mini-games, and side-stories with the orphanage kids that will showcase Kiryu’s goal to keep the orphanage up to par. There’s also a new team battle mode, where Kiryu leads customizable motorbike gangs in tactical battles (where fans can recruit the Like a Dragon protagonist, Kasuga Ichiban, as a Legendary Lad).
On the other hand, Dark Ties acts as a prequel that details the antagonist, Yoshitaka Mine’s backstory. It’s the first time Mine has been a playable character in all of Yakuza, and it’s going to deliver exactly why he became the ruthless, cynical leader he is in Yakuza 3.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 will be released on February 12, 2026, as a combined package with the Dark Ties spin-off. It will be available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC. Fans can find more info on the Ryu Ga Gotoku website.
