Like a Dragon 8 will be a turn-based RPG, what about the future? In a new roundtable interview that included IGN, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio [RGG Studio] and series executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama seemed to leave the door open for a return to the franchise’s action-based roots.... if it fits the story.

Speaking before the formal announcement of Like a Dragon 8, Yokoyama was cagey about its status despite series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi and producer Kazuki Hosokawa previously saying that Like a Dragon would remain a turn-based RPG going forward. It was later confirmed that Like a Dragon would indeed be an RPG.

As for the series overall, Yokoyama says that Like a Dragon will utilize whatever gameplay mechanics enhance the story – even if that means turning the series into a “party game.”

“For us, when we make a game, the kind of system itself, we don't feel restricted by it. We basically design our games, we use the system that best highlights the story that we want to tell,” Yokoyama explained. “In Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, our goal is to make a game with an interesting story, so whatever system best highlights that is the system we'll choose…If we think a party game will make this story sound the best, we will make a party game. And one of the really fun parts about making a game itself is that there are no rules…when you're making a game, you make the rules. So in that case, we like to stay flexible.”

Released in 2020, Yakuza: Like a Dragon was the first game in the series to feature turn-based RPG mechanics. Yokoyama denied the long-held rumor that the system arose from an April Fool’s Joke, saying that the studio had already decided to try turn-based combat long before that. In our review at the time, we wrote that the system “successfully manages to introduce a more tactical form of team-based street fighting without sacrificing any of the series’ signature flair and offbeat humor.”

However, some criticized it for its lengthy battles and occasionally unbalanced mechanics.

“[W]e are very aware of both the good and bad feedback and we knew that we had a lot of places that we could improve on, both technically and in the way the game feels. So if, and this is big if, we are indeed making another turn-based series, we would definitely find things that we can improve on. Once again, just clarifying the ‘if’ there,” Yokoyama said.

Yokoyama and RGG Studio are coming off several major announcements including the official reveal of Like a Dragon 8 and a brand-new sidestory featuring Kazuma Kiryu. RGG Studio also recently revealed Like a Dragon: Ishin, a new action-based samurai game for the PlayStation 5, during this week’s Sony State of Play. You can find everything announced here.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Since its introduction in 2016, the Dragon Engine has been crucial to defining the look and feel of the series. However, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio [RGG Studio] and series executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama acknowledges that it’s time for a “major update.”

“The Dragon Engine at this point is kind of a bit of an old engine. We have made a lot of minor updates over the years for it, or we've made a lot of minor updates over it, but we haven't made any major updates. So probably next what's coming for would be a major update if we had to do anything,” Yokoyama says.

First introduced with Yakuza 6, the Dragon Engine has since driven Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and the Judgment series. Like a Dragon: Ishin is notable in that it is being built on Unreal Engine 4. Does that mean a full shift to Unreal Engine 5 is in the cards?

“So, regarding [Unreal Engine 5], yes, we are researching it,” Yokoyama said in response to a question asked by IGN during a roundtable interview. “We are kind of looking at it and saying, what are the merits of each? What's the merit of the Dragon Engine? What's the merit of the Unreal Engine? And when it comes down to it, the Dragon Engine…it's really perfectly designed to represent a city at night. The nighttime city. Whereas Unreal, it's better at showing nature and daytime and that sort of feel.”

Talking about the challenges of modern console technology, Yokoyama says that he’s not as worried about graphics, which he considers to have taken less of a leap than than in the PS3 era. Instead, Yokoyama worries more about the sheer number of available platforms.

“[R]ather than adjusting in terms of the challenge of adjusting to a new generation, much stronger technology, the main challenge is that now, we have so many platforms,” Yokoyama says. “We have PC, we have Steam, we have Xbox, we have all sorts of things from which our game can be a part of, and so making a game that can be on all these platforms and using the chance to share our game with people all around the world is the major challenge that we think we want to face going forward. And because of all these different pieces of technology, we want to maybe try doing something unique as well. Whether or not we're doing it is a little bit of a secret though.”

Just don’t expect a Yakuza game on the Nintendo Switch anytime soon, which Yokoyama described during the interview as “kind of a system for a younger audience,” at least in Japan.

Whatever the case, there are several Yakuza games in the pipeline now, including the Like a Dragon: Ishin remake, Like a Dragon 8, and a new sidestory featuring Kazuma Kiryu. Ishin is the first in line, with a release date set for February 21, 2023.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Since its introduction in 2016, the Dragon Engine has been crucial to defining the look and feel of the series. However, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio [RGG Studio] and series executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama acknowledges that it’s time for a “major update.”

“The Dragon Engine at this point is kind of a bit of an old engine. We have made a lot of minor updates over the years for it, or we've made a lot of minor updates over it, but we haven't made any major updates. So probably next what's coming for would be a major update if we had to do anything,” Yokoyama says.

First introduced with Yakuza 6, the Dragon Engine has since driven Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and the Judgment series. Like a Dragon: Ishin is notable in that it is being built on Unreal Engine 4. Does that mean a full shift to Unreal Engine 5 is in the cards?

“So, regarding [Unreal Engine 5], yes, we are researching it,” Yokoyama said in response to a question asked by IGN during a roundtable interview. “We are kind of looking at it and saying, what are the merits of each? What's the merit of the Dragon Engine? What's the merit of the Unreal Engine? And when it comes down to it, the Dragon Engine…it's really perfectly designed to represent a city at night. The nighttime city. Whereas Unreal, it's better at showing nature and daytime and that sort of feel.”

Talking about the challenges of modern console technology, Yokoyama says that he’s not as worried about graphics, which he considers to have taken less of a leap than than in the PS3 era. Instead, Yokoyama worries more about the sheer number of available platforms.

“[R]ather than adjusting in terms of the challenge of adjusting to a new generation, much stronger technology, the main challenge is that now, we have so many platforms,” Yokoyama says. “We have PC, we have Steam, we have Xbox, we have all sorts of things from which our game can be a part of, and so making a game that can be on all these platforms and using the chance to share our game with people all around the world is the major challenge that we think we want to face going forward. And because of all these different pieces of technology, we want to maybe try doing something unique as well. Whether or not we're doing it is a little bit of a secret though.”

Just don’t expect a Yakuza game on the Nintendo Switch anytime soon, which Yokoyama described during the interview as “kind of a system for a younger audience,” at least in Japan.

Whatever the case, there are several Yakuza games in the pipeline now, including the Like a Dragon: Ishin remake, Like a Dragon 8, and a new sidestory featuring Kazuma Kiryu. Ishin is the first in line, with a release date set for February 21, 2023.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular consoles in the world, and it’s especially dominant in Japan — home of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Yakuza series. But don’t expect to see the series on Nintendo’s platform any time soon.

Speaking with IGN as part of a roundtable interview, RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama was blunt in his assessment of the franchise’s prospects on the Switch.

“First of all, whether our games will run on the Switch is probably the first question. The second is, when people are doing things that they don't want to do, and you lose the morale and urge to do it,” Yokoyama said in response to a question from GameSpot, which first reported the story.

“And when it comes to the Switch, it’s kind of a system for a younger audience…it's how we picture it in Japan anyway, for kids. So do we want to put a title, where we're going and picking a fight with the world, and doing all this Yakuza stuff, on a Switch? Will people be happy if we do that? And we're not confident that they will. So that's why we're probably not aiming for it.”

When a reporter pointed out that mature games such as 2016’s Doom are on the platform as well, Yokoyama acknowledged that the Switch is “changing.”

“I am, too, thinking that the perception of the Switch, is changing, and maybe because of that one day we will put it out on the Switch, but still in Japan the image of the Switch is more something you put next to the register at a supermarket or something. You'll line up all those games. If you want to have the Yakuza game right there with all the others…I don't feel like I want to do that yet,” Yokoyama said.

He reiterated that RGG Studio tends to think of itself of “underdogs” and “people of the night world,” implicitly suggesting that the studio’s culture is at odds with the wholesome image put forward by the Switch.

“So yeah, we still think of ourselves as people of the night world. We don't want to be walking around in the daylight with everybody else. For us, it's showing this underground feeling. I say night world, but underground kind of feeling is what we want to do” Yokoyama finished.

While RGG Studio will eschew the Switch for now, it still has plenty of other projects on its plate, including a new Kazuma Kiryu sidestory and Like a Dragon 8. The studio is also looking into pushing on to Unreal Engine 5, which would further separate it from Nintendo’s hardware

RGG Studio’s next game is a remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin, which is due out February 2023.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular consoles in the world, and it’s especially dominant in Japan — home of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Yakuza series. But don’t expect to see the series on Nintendo’s platform any time soon.

Speaking with IGN as part of a roundtable interview, RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama was blunt in his assessment of the franchise’s prospects on the Switch.

“First of all, whether our games will run on the Switch is probably the first question. The second is, when people are doing things that they don't want to do, and you lose the morale and urge to do it,” Yokoyama said in response to a question from GameSpot, which first reported the story.

“And when it comes to the Switch, it’s kind of a system for a younger audience…it's how we picture it in Japan anyway, for kids. So do we want to put a title, where we're going and picking a fight with the world, and doing all this Yakuza stuff, on a Switch? Will people be happy if we do that? And we're not confident that they will. So that's why we're probably not aiming for it.”

When a reporter pointed out that mature games such as 2016’s Doom are on the platform as well, Yokoyama acknowledged that the Switch is “changing.”

“I am, too, thinking that the perception of the Switch, is changing, and maybe because of that one day we will put it out on the Switch, but still in Japan the image of the Switch is more something you put next to the register at a supermarket or something. You'll line up all those games. If you want to have the Yakuza game right there with all the others…I don't feel like I want to do that yet,” Yokoyama said.

He reiterated that RGG Studio tends to think of itself of “underdogs” and “people of the night world,” implicitly suggesting that the studio’s culture is at odds with the wholesome image put forward by the Switch.

“So yeah, we still think of ourselves as people of the night world. We don't want to be walking around in the daylight with everybody else. For us, it's showing this underground feeling. I say night world, but underground kind of feeling is what we want to do” Yokoyama finished.

While RGG Studio will eschew the Switch for now, it still has plenty of other projects on its plate, including a new Kazuma Kiryu sidestory and Like a Dragon 8. The studio is also looking into pushing on to Unreal Engine 5, which would further separate it from Nintendo’s hardware

RGG Studio’s next game is a remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin, which is due out February 2023.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

The People’s Joker has been removed from the Toronto International Film Festival.

The film starred director Vera Drew as a trans woman working in comedy, which happened to be set in a re-imagined version of Gotham – the very same Gotham that’s home to DC’s Batman.

“The filmmaker has withdrawn this film due to rights issues,” says the TIFF website. “We apologize for any inconvenience. Current ticket holders will receive an email from TIFF Customer Relations with information on their purchase.”

The People’s Joker held its world premiere on Tuesday, but the film was pulled from the festival shortly afterward.

Bob Odenkirk features as Bob the Goon… and Drew couldn’t believe he agreed to take on the role.

“I had a call with Bob, and it was literally a half-hour phone call where we talked about the part, and it was really cool,” Drew told Collider. “He listened to me ramble about all my highfalutin ideas about this illegal movie, and his only request was, ‘I'll do it. I want to do it. I think it's great. I think you're great, but just make me look kind of fucked up. Give me a big scar, something. Cause I don't want people to think like, 'Oh it's cool, Bob's in it, blah, blah blah.'”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, festival organizers soon confirmed the withdrawal of what they described as a “queer coming-of-age film”. However, the filmmakers, as well as the production banner Haunted Gay Ride Productions have remained silent on the matter.

Additionally, Warner Bros, Discovery has not commented on the film.

However, Polygon has confirmed that Warner Bros. served a cease-and-desist order to the filmmakers before its TIFF premiere, prompting the decision to pull the film from any subsequent screenings.

Director Vera Drew previously asserted that the film was protected as it’s a parody.

“[It’s an] illegal gray zone,” they claimed in an interview with Alex Helisek. “I, Vera Drew, don’t own Joker and Batman, but it’s a parody.”

Whether or not that’s enough to protect the film from rights issues with Warner Bros. Discovery remains to be seen. But the filmmaker has already chosen to withdraw it immediately from TIFF.

But Drew remains defiant.

“I wanna talk to everyone but I also gotta be smart about our next moves,” they said via Twitter. “Animal planet declared war this week on my movie and we are doing everything we can to find a distribution partner who is gonna protect us and ensure that everyone EVERYWHERE gets to see this movie.”

The People’s Joker stars Vera Drew, Lynn Downey, Kane Distler, Nathan Faustyn, David Liebe Hart, Christian Calloway, Griffin Kramer, Phil Braun, Tim Heidecker, Ember Knight, and Sarah Sherman.

The film is Drew’s first feature film as a director, following an Emmy-nominated career as an editor.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Image Credit: Vera Drew|TIFF

The People’s Joker has been removed from the Toronto International Film Festival.

The film starred director Vera Drew as a trans woman working in comedy, which happened to be set in a re-imagined version of Gotham – the very same Gotham that’s home to DC’s Batman.

“The filmmaker has withdrawn this film due to rights issues,” says the TIFF website. “We apologize for any inconvenience. Current ticket holders will receive an email from TIFF Customer Relations with information on their purchase.”

The People’s Joker held its world premiere on Tuesday, but the film was pulled from the festival shortly afterward.

Bob Odenkirk features as Bob the Goon… and Drew couldn’t believe he agreed to take on the role.

“I had a call with Bob, and it was literally a half-hour phone call where we talked about the part, and it was really cool,” Drew told Collider. “He listened to me ramble about all my highfalutin ideas about this illegal movie, and his only request was, ‘I'll do it. I want to do it. I think it's great. I think you're great, but just make me look kind of fucked up. Give me a big scar, something. Cause I don't want people to think like, 'Oh it's cool, Bob's in it, blah, blah blah.'”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, festival organizers soon confirmed the withdrawal of what they described as a “queer coming-of-age film”. However, the filmmakers, as well as the production banner Haunted Gay Ride Productions have remained silent on the matter.

Additionally, Warner Bros, Discovery has not commented on the film.

However, Polygon has confirmed that Warner Bros. served a cease-and-desist order to the filmmakers before its TIFF premiere, prompting the decision to pull the film from any subsequent screenings.

Director Vera Drew previously asserted that the film was protected as it’s a parody.

“[It’s an] illegal gray zone,” they claimed in an interview with Alex Helisek. “I, Vera Drew, don’t own Joker and Batman, but it’s a parody.”

Whether or not that’s enough to protect the film from rights issues with Warner Bros. Discovery remains to be seen. But the filmmaker has already chosen to withdraw it immediately from TIFF.

But Drew remains defiant.

“I wanna talk to everyone but I also gotta be smart about our next moves,” they said via Twitter. “Animal planet declared war this week on my movie and we are doing everything we can to find a distribution partner who is gonna protect us and ensure that everyone EVERYWHERE gets to see this movie.”

The People’s Joker stars Vera Drew, Lynn Downey, Kane Distler, Nathan Faustyn, David Liebe Hart, Christian Calloway, Griffin Kramer, Phil Braun, Tim Heidecker, Ember Knight, and Sarah Sherman.

The film is Drew’s first feature film as a director, following an Emmy-nominated career as an editor.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Image Credit: Vera Drew|TIFF

Ant-Man 3 writer Jeff Loveness will also write Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

According to Deadline, the 33-year-old screenwriter will pen the upcoming Avengers sequel which will focus on Kang the Conqueror – a Marvel villain that’s about to be re-introduced in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Kang made an appearance in a slightly different form in the recent Loki series.

The film was unveiled during Marvel’s recent San Diego Comic-Con panel and will bring an end to Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on May 2, 2025, alongside Avengers: Secret Wars which will debut a few months later on November 7, 2025.

Destin Daniel Cretton will direct The Kang Dynasty with Marvel boss Kevin Feige as executive producer.

Although plot details remain firmly under wraps, it seems like a good idea to get Loveness on board.

After all, with Loveness writing the upcoming Ant-Man sequel, he’s going to get a pretty good handle on Kang the Conqueror… and that’s sure going to pay off when it comes to writing The Kang Dynasty. The Kang in Ant-Man 3 is also much more menacing as seen in a new trailer that premiered exclusively to folks who attended D23.

Loveness is perhaps best known for his work on the hit animated sci-fi show, Rick and Morty, and has written a number of hit episodes, including The Vat of Acid Episode as well as the Season 5 premiere, Mort Dinner Rick Andre as well as the season finale, Rickmurai Jack.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will effectively kick off Phase 5 of the MCU, which concludes with the release of The Thunderbolts in July 2024.

Of course, this means Kang the Conqueror will be around for some time yet – at least until the penultimate film of MCU Phase 6. And that’s a few years away. Think of Kang as the new Thanos, with Jonathan Majors returning to reprise his role from Loki.

Want to read more about Avengers: The Kang Dynasty? Check out everything Marvel Studios announced at San Diego Comic Con and find out who Marvel’s New Avengers will be.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Ant-Man 3 writer Jeff Loveness will also write Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

According to Deadline, the 33-year-old screenwriter will pen the upcoming Avengers sequel which will focus on Kang the Conqueror – a Marvel villain that’s about to be re-introduced in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Kang made an appearance in a slightly different form in the recent Loki series.

The film was unveiled during Marvel’s recent San Diego Comic-Con panel and will bring an end to Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on May 2, 2025, alongside Avengers: Secret Wars which will debut a few months later on November 7, 2025.

Destin Daniel Cretton will direct The Kang Dynasty with Marvel boss Kevin Feige as executive producer.

Although plot details remain firmly under wraps, it seems like a good idea to get Loveness on board.

After all, with Loveness writing the upcoming Ant-Man sequel, he’s going to get a pretty good handle on Kang the Conqueror… and that’s sure going to pay off when it comes to writing The Kang Dynasty. The Kang in Ant-Man 3 is also much more menacing as seen in a new trailer that premiered exclusively to folks who attended D23.

Loveness is perhaps best known for his work on the hit animated sci-fi show, Rick and Morty, and has written a number of hit episodes, including The Vat of Acid Episode as well as the Season 5 premiere, Mort Dinner Rick Andre as well as the season finale, Rickmurai Jack.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will effectively kick off Phase 5 of the MCU, which concludes with the release of The Thunderbolts in July 2024.

Of course, this means Kang the Conqueror will be around for some time yet – at least until the penultimate film of MCU Phase 6. And that’s a few years away. Think of Kang as the new Thanos, with Jonathan Majors returning to reprise his role from Loki.

Want to read more about Avengers: The Kang Dynasty? Check out everything Marvel Studios announced at San Diego Comic Con and find out who Marvel’s New Avengers will be.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

David Harbour (Stranger Things, Hellboy) has been cast in director Neill Blomkamp's Gran Turismo movie.

Harbour will play a retired racecar driver who teaches the teenage protagonist how to drive, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film tells the tale of a real-life teenage Gran Turismo player who transcended video games to become an actual pro driver.

Gran Turismo was written by Jason Hall (American Sniper) and Zach Baylin (King Richard). It's due to hit theaters on August 11, 2023.

The Blomkamp film follows Sony's successful big-screen adaptation of Uncharted, which grossed over $400 million USD globally. Future PlayStation Productions projects include a Twisted Metal series at Peacock, a The Last of Us series at HBO, a God of War series at Amazon, a Horizon series at Netflix, and a Ghost of Tsushima movie directed by Chad Stahleski (John Wick).

The latest game in Sony's long-running racing franchise, Gran Turismo 7, was released earlier this year. Our review said it's "the best the series has been since its dominant PlayStation 2 era."

Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.