Further Tension Looms For Gang Of Dragon As Developer Office Appears To Be Shuttered Online

In fall 2021, it was a very big discovery that Yakuza/Like a Dragon creator Toshihiro Nagoshi alongside Daisuke Sato were exiting Ryu Ga Gotoku. The two were foundational to the franchise and moved on to form Nagoshi Studio under NetEase. In a later update the following summer, Nagoshi elaborated on the new project to be his most ambitious and be similar to a Quentin Tarantino film in its delivery.

By December this past winter at The Game Awards, Nagoshi Studio officially unveiled its new IP – Gang of Dragon. While still in the roots of Yakuza crime drama, Gang of Dragon from what was shown is as Nagoshi described whilst being made using Unreal Engine 5. However, things did take a surprising turn for the project. In March, it was reported that the team was nearing the edge of NetEase pulling funding for the new IP to be completed.

And while the future for Gang of Dragon as well as Nagoshi Studio still remains in question, more looming information has been uncovered online it appears. Via a post on Reddit, user u/rafilus revealed that the office where Nagoshi Studio is based in Shibuya, Tokyo has been closed permanently according to Google.

Going on the topic of the limited funding that Gang of Dragon is faced with potentially, the studio closure is a surprise even more. This coincides with the official website for the game also mysteriously being severed as well this year. Despite the recent realization, Gang of Dragon is still live on Steam as of writing which does show to be a shimmer of hope the game might still release.

While the original Yakuza developers face potential doom, the IP they fathered over at Sega is branching out with a new IP. Recently, Stranger Than Heaven showcased a full presentation for the project, confirmed to be a prequel to the Like a Dragon series. It is slated to launch in winter 2026. You can read the full report by heading here.

Are you surprised by this latest update for Gang of Dragon?

Gang of Dragon is still listed for PC.