Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator of the Yakuza franchise, revealed his latest project at the 2025 Game Awards in December. Now, just three months later, NetEase is pulling the plug and will stop all funding for the game's development team.
According to a Bloomberg report, Nagoshi Studio Inc. is having its funding cut off by NetEase, best known recently as the publisher and developer of Marvel Rivals. A spokesperson for NetEase said that they will "stop financing the studio from May."
It's a disappointing turn of events following Gang of Dragon's exciting reveal. After feeling the highs and lows of Yakuza Kiwami 3, Gang of Dragon had the chance to do something truly special. Featuring Ma Dong-seok as the main protagonist, as well as a Kabukicho district setting, Gang of Dragon delivered "an all-killer, no-filler style" trailer akin to iconic B-grade Hollywood films.
Now, all of those hopes and dreams have been dashed, despite the game being said to be deep into development. Bloomberg explains that Netease made the call after discovering that Gang of Dragon would require an additional ¥7 billion ($44.4 million) to complete the game. For what it's worth, NetEase posted $2.5 billion in...
