Sega's Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio Is Making Yakuza 8

In October 2021, Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi confirmed he was leaving the studio he helped found. Joining him in the departure was long-time series director and producer, Daisuke Sato. In a new interview with Weekly Famitsu, the studio’s new boss Masayoshi Yokoyama talks about how these departures have impacted the studio and what’s next for the Japanese gangster franchise.

Nagoshi and Sato announced their departure on the official Ryu Ga Gotoku page. This was actually somewhat unusual in how things have recently been done in the Japanese game industry. In other instances when well-known creators have departed, they have made the announcement on their personal Twitter. What’s more, Yokoyama wrote a message above Nagoshi and Sato’s messages, with his remarks seeming to calm any fan concerns over how the departures would impact the studio. The announcements, which as of writing can still be viewed on the official site, are displayed prominently.

“Personnel changes are completely normal in corporate organizations,” Yokoyama told Famitsu. “First of all, I’m happy to be in an environment in which that normal thing necessitates a full-scale announcement.”

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