Ys Net Shoots Down Hopes For New Shenmue Announcement Denouncing Recent Leaked Trailer As Fake

For years, it appeared that the Shenmue series was to remain dormant. That was until Ys Net & ININ Games rekindles excitement for the IP. One approach was polling its consumers if there is any interest in seeing a remaster/port of Shenmue III for current & new platforms. Then this past August, both companies announced Shenmue III Enhanced that will come to the latest PlayStation as well as Xbox systems.

In December, there has been a new wave of fans excited for the future of Shenmue. Although it was confirmed a new rework of the original 2019 title is coming, there was a leaked trailer that appeared online which points towards more. According to the footage, many understand the trailer to be an unconfirmed announcement for Shenmue 4.

However, it appears that those hopes were simply to mislead fans. On X, Ys Net announced that the leaked footage shared online is not for the next Shenmue game as the team was not involved in the creation of that trailer. The firm has also said that legal action will be considered as the unofficial video uses its trademarked iconography.

“YS NET Inc. has confirmed that a video has been posted on social media which uses our company logo without permission, falsely giving the impression that it is an official ‘Shenmue 4’ related video produced by us. This video has absolutely no connection to YS NET. Furthermore, at this time, YS NET has not released any trailers, footage, or other promotional materials related to ‘Shenmue 4’,” the developer wrote in the letterhead.

“We recognize that the unauthorized use of our logo, and any act that misleads viewers into believing such content is official, constitutes a serious issue that may amount to trademark infringement and unfair competition. We are currently working with relevant parties and preparing appropriate measures, including potential legal action. We sincerely apologize to our fans and all related parties for any confusion this may have caused.”

Do you think a Shenmue 4 will eventually happen?