The Yakuza devs aren’t trying to hide their plan to get out of the way of Monster Hunter Wilds: “We wanted you to be able to play the game that comes after it with peace of mind”

You’ve now got seven days to play Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii before the new Monster Hunter game comes out

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Aftershowing off Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s Assassin’s Creed Black Flag-style naval combatduring the Xbox Partner Showcase, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio dropped a surprise that the RPG is coming one week early. Now, over on Twitter, the developer is getting into the why – and it’s fairly straightforward and understandable.

Studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama says the new release date is “partly because development is progressing more smoothly than expected” and that the team wants to “deliver the game to players around the world as soon as possible.” The benefit is that you can “play the game that comes after it, with peace of mind.”

We’d like to share a message from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio about Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s release date 🗓️ https://t.co/ubPC197luu pic.twitter.com/HuMcz5VFZkOctober 17, 2024

What game could that be? Well, take your pick – In February 2025 alone, we’re getting Kingdom Come Deliverance 2,Assassin’s Creed Shadows,Avowed, andMonster Hunter Wilds. What’s likely most notable among that rabble, though, is the new Monster Hunter game, as it’s set to release on February 28 – the very date Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii eyed up before the team decided to bring its release date forward.

Is that week enough to get through what could be a lofty RPG? Perhaps not, though it does free me of some degree of choice paralysis, and for that, I’m grateful. According toHow Long to Beat, the previous three Yakuza games take 57, 12, and 23 hours to beat – though it’s worth noting that those with shorter playtime are spin-offs. Mind you, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is also a spin-off, so maybe one week will be plenty to clear the RPG before Monster Hunter Wilds swallows our time whole.

With Assassin’s Creed Shadows pushed back to an already-full February, expect a bloodbath that might decide the future of RPGs.

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Iain joins the GamesRadar team as Deputy News Editor following stints at PCGamesN and PocketGamer.Biz, with some freelance for Kotaku UK, RockPaperShotgun, and VG24/7 thrown in for good measure. When not helping Ali run the news team, he can be found digging into communities for stories – the sillier the better. When he isn’t pillaging the depths of Final Fantasy 14 for a swanky new hat, you’ll find him amassing an army of Pokemon plushies.

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