Yakuza Fans Vote on Official Merch: From Cult Clothes to Traffic Cones

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the beloved Yakuza / Like a Dragon series, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is celebrating in a unique way. Fans are given the exciting opportunity to vote for what they want to see as official merchandise. The choices range from typical items like a 20th anniversary hoodie and a themed pencil case to more eccentric options inspired by the series' wild history. These include the cult outfit from Yakuza 0, a giant traffic cone from Yakuza Kiwami, and even "Puffy Gold Pants."

The voting process, detailed on the official website, allows fans to choose from 100 different items. RGG Studio has promised to bring the top two voted items to market within the next two years. While the competition is currently listed only in Japanese, fans worldwide can participate by submitting their votes online.

Among the quirky merchandise options, fans can also vote for items like the sake Majima drinks in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Akiyama's gold watch, Kiryu's fountain pen from Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Kashiwagi's tambourine from Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Kiryu's wrestling mask from Yakuza 3, and Saejima's prisoner uniform from Yakuza 4.

In addition to this fan-driven merchandising campaign, 2025 will see the release of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii on February 21, marking another entry in the franchise's 20th anniversary year. While RGG Studio celebrated its 10th anniversary with the acclaimed prequel Yakuza 0, no similar projects have been announced for the end of this year yet.

Despite the potential for multiple releases in one year, RGG Studio's track record speaks for itself. In the past five years, they've managed to release an impressive lineup of games, including Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Judgment Remastered, Lost Judgment, Like a Dragon: Ishin, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, alongside two Super Monkey Ball titles and an enhanced remaster of Virtua Fighter 5. That's a total of nine games, showcasing their ability to maintain rapid development cycles.