Originally launched on the PlayStation 2 in 2005, Yakuza, known as Ryu ga Gotoku in Japan, has evolved into a cherished video game franchise that delves into the tumultuous lives and intricate schemes of yakuza families within the fictional Tokyo district of Kamurocho. The series, which rebranded to Like a Dragon in 2022 (an English translation of Ryu ga Gotoku), has captivated audiences with its unique blend of action, melodrama, cinematic storytelling, and humor. Side quests are a crucial element, infusing the games with their distinctive light-heartedness. It took years for the series to gain international acclaim, but its popularity has soared, bolstered by a steady stream of localized re-releases, spin-offs, and new titles, including the latest addition, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, featuring the fan-favorite character Goro Majima.
The Yakuza Games In (Chronological) Order
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How Many Yakuza/Like a Dragon Games Are There?
Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have released a total of nine mainline Yakuza/Like a Dragon games, along with two remakes – Yakuza Kiwami (2016) and Yakuza Kiwami 2 (2017), with a third on the horizon – and 11 spin-offs since the series debuted in 2005. Initially exclusive to PlayStation, these titles have since been ported to Xbox and PC, with every game following Yakuza: Like a Dragon being released simultaneously across multiple platforms, except for the Nintendo Switch. However, Yakuza Kiwami became the first Like a Dragon game to be ported to the Switch, scheduled for October 2024, as announced in the August 2024 Nintendo Direct.
In addition to the mainline series, Like a Dragon boasts an array of diverse spin-offs. **Kurohyō: Ryu ga Gotoku Shinsho** (2010) and its sequel **Kurohyō 2: Ryu ga Gotoku Ashura Hen** (2012) are exclusive to the PlayStation Portable and introduce Tatsuya Ukyo, a new character. **Judgment** (2018) and **Lost Judgment** (2021) feature Takayuki Yagami, a lawyer-turned-detective investigating mysterious murders in Kamurocho, with some crossover with the Tojo Clan.The zombie-themed Yakuza: Dead Souls (2011) sees the classic cast in a dystopian setting. Yakuza Online (2018), a free-to-play TCG on mobile and PC, introduced Ichiban Kasuga, the protagonist of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise (2018) reimagines the popular Japanese series with the gameplay mechanics of Kiryu's adventures.
Two historical spin-offs, Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (2008) and Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! (2014), later released in the West as Like a Dragon: Ishin! in 2023, are set in older Japanese eras with historical figures as protagonists.
In 2023, Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name was released, which runs parallel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon and sheds light on Kiryu's fate post-Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. The newest spin-off, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, released in 2025, follows Goro Majima as an amnesiac protagonist in Honolulu, set six months after the events of Infinite Wealth.
Which Yakuza Game Should You Play First?
With such a vast saga to explore, newcomers might wonder where to begin. We suggest starting with Yakuza 0 for a chronological experience or jumping straight into Yakuza: Like a Dragon for a fresh start with the new generation.
### Yakuza Kiwami
0Newcomers or those who started with Yakuza 0 will find familiar controls, exceptional localization by SEGA, and a solid entry point into the Yakuza franchise. See it at AmazonMainline Yakuza/Like a Dragon Games in Chronological Order:
- Yakuza 0
- Yakuza / Yakuza Kiwami
- Yakuza 2 / Yakuza Kiwami 2
- Yakuza 3
- Yakuza 4
- Yakuza 5
- Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Beware: Mild spoilers for the plots, characters, and some major events of each game follow.
1. Yakuza 0 (2014)
Despite being the sixth game released, Yakuza 0 is the first in the series' timeline. Set during the late 1980s economic boom, players follow two protagonists: a young Kazuma Kiryu, framed for a murder at the Empty Lot, and Goro Majima, working in a cabaret as penance for a past assassination attempt. Majima is tasked with killing Makoto, who turns out to be the rightful owner of the Empty Lot. By the game's end, Kiryu returns to the Dojima family after defeating their lieutenants, Majima allows Makoto to live her life, and the Empty Lot is destroyed to make way for the Millennium Tower, a pivotal location in the series.
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC | IGN’s Yakuza 0 Review
2. Yakuza (2005) / Yakuza Kiwami (2016)
In the first Yakuza game, Kazuma Kiryu emerges from a 10-year prison sentence, having taken the fall for his boss Sohei Dojima's murder, committed by his best friend Akira Nishikiyama to protect Yumi Sawamura. Upon release, Kiryu is expelled from the Tojo Clan, faces the theft of ¥10 billion, and searches for the missing Yumi. He encounters Haruka, whose pendant is key to the lost money, while Nishikiyama becomes an adversary. The climax sees Kiryu reunite with Yumi, recover the money, and confront Nishikiyama. Kiryu briefly becomes the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan before handing over the position to Yukio Terada and retiring to raise Haruka.
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC (Yakuza Kiwami), PS2 | IGN’s Yakuza Review | Yakuza Kiwami Review
3. Yakuza 2 (2006) / Yakuza Kiwami 2 (2017)
Yakuza 2 begins with Terada, the Fifth Chairman, seeking Kiryu's help to prevent a war with the Omi Alliance. After surviving an ambush, Terada appears dead, prompting Kiryu to support Daigo Dojima as the new chairman. Kiryu's adversary becomes Ryuji Goda, the Omi chairman's son, while detective Kaoru Sayama assists Kiryu in uncovering her parents' fate.
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC (Yakuza Kiwami 2), PS3 | IGN’s Yakuza 2 Review | Yakuza Kiwami 2 Review
4. Yakuza 3 (2009)
In Yakuza 3, the first PS3 release, Kiryu tries to leave the yakuza life behind, running the Morning Glory Orphanage in Okinawa with Haruka. However, he is drawn back into conflicts involving new yakuza families, assassinations, betrayals, an arms smuggling group, and the CIA.
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC (The Yakuza Remastered Collection), PS3 | IGN’s Yakuza 3 Review
5. Yakuza 4 (2010)
Yakuza 4 introduces four protagonists amidst escalating clan conflicts. Shun Akiyama, a loan shark, navigates a dispute between the Tojo and Ueno Seiwa Clans. Taiga Saejima, Majima's blood brother, escapes prison after a 1985 hit. Detective Masayoshi Tanimura investigates Tojo Clan murders, uncovering connections to Saejima's past. Kiryu eventually collaborates with these characters to unravel the ongoing conflicts.
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC (The Yakuza Remastered Collection), PS3 | IGN’s Yakuza 4 Review
6. Yakuza 5 (2012)
Yakuza 5 expands the narrative with five protagonists across different locations. Kiryu, now in Fukuoka, learns of Daigo's disappearance and impending war. Saejima, back in prison, plans an escape with his cellmate Shigeki Baba, while Haruka pursues a J-pop career. Akiyama helps Haruka investigate the death of her talent agency's president, and new character Tatsuo Shinada, a former baseball player, seeks the truth behind a match-fixing scandal.
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC (The Yakuza Remastered Collection), PS3 | IGN’s Yakuza 5 Review
7. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016)
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life marks Kiryu's final chapter. Released from prison after three years for his past crimes, Kiryu returns to find Haruka in a coma and learns she has a child, Haruto. Investigating in Onomichi, Hiroshima, Kiryu uncovers threats from rival groups, the Saio Triad and Jingweon Mafia, while key allies like Daigo, Saejima, and Majima face imprisonment.
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC | IGN’s Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Review
8. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon introduces a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, and a turn-based combat system. Kasuga, a Tojo Clan member, goes to prison for 18 years for a crime he didn't commit. Upon release, he discovers the Omi Alliance has defeated the Tojo Clan, and his former patriarch, Masumi Arakawa, seems to have betrayed them. After surviving an attempt on his life, Kasuga forms a new party with characters from various criminal factions, uncovering the truth behind Arakawa's actions across Yokohama, Sotenbori, and Kamurocho.
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One, PC | IGN’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon Review
9. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024)
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth brings together Kiryu and Kasuga in a dual-protagonist narrative spanning Japan and Hawaii. Set post-Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Kasuga's peaceful life in Ijincho is disrupted by a viral video, leading him to discover his supposedly deceased mother is alive in Honolulu. Kiryu, also in Hawaii to find Kasuga's mother, reveals his cancer diagnosis. The story unfolds into a complex web involving international mob groups, a religious cult, live streamers, and more.
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, PC | IGN's Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Review
All of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon Games and Spin-Offs in Release Order
Mainline Yakuza games are marked in bold with an asterisk.
1. Yakuza (2005) / Yakuza Kiwami (2016)*
2. Yakuza 2 (2006) / Yakuza Kiwami 2 (2017)*
3. Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan! (2008)
4. Yakuza 3 (2009)*
5. Yakuza 4 (2010)*
6. Kurohyō: Ryū ga Gotoku Shinshō (2010)
7. Yakuza: Dead Souls (2011)
8. Kurohyō 2: Ryū ga Gotoku Ashura Hen (2012)
9. Yakuza 5 (2012)*
10. Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! (2014) / Like a Dragon: Ishin! (2023)
11. Yakuza 0 (2015)*
12. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016)*
13. Yakuza Online (2018)
14. Judgment (2018)
15. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020)*
16. Lost Judgment (2021)
18. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (2023)
19. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (2024)*
20. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (2025)
What’s Next for Yakuza/Like a Dragon?
The Like a Dragon narrative continues to evolve. While **Infinite Wealth** concluded its storyline, it left a tantalizing cliffhanger hinting at future adventures. Fans can anticipate another mainline Yakuza game, especially following the release of the latest spin-off, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.At the 2024 Game Awards, RGG announced the revival of Virtua Fighter and a new open-world game, "Project Century," at the February 2025 State of Play. However, details on the next Like a Dragon mainline or spin-off remain under wraps.
Looking for more video game timelines? Check out these guides:
- Grand Theft Auto Games in Order
- God of War Games in Order
- Assassin's Creed Games in Order
- Resident Evil Games in Order
