Yakuza: Like an Asura is rumored to be announced as part of the franchise's upcoming 15th-anniversary stream. Based on the rumored image, this game would explore the origin story of Masaru Watase.
The recent release of Yakuza: Like a Dragon has given fans of the franchise something new to play, but there isn't much more information beyond that. Now, a reportedly-deleted tweet from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's Masayoshi Yokoyama has appeared on the franchise's subreddit and it appears to reveal the next step for the franchise.
Is the Yakuza: Like an Asura Rumor Real?
As several people on the subreddit note, the character on the left appears to resemble Masaru Watase, the captain of the Omi Alliance who appeared in Yakuza 5 and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Masaru Watase also happens to have a tattoo of an Asura King on his back which would explain the game's rumored subtitle (shown on the right side of the tweet in kanji).
Adding fuel to the fire for this rumor is the fact that the franchise is having its 15th-anniversary celebration in less than a month; a YouTube livestream titled Yakuza 15th Anniversary Special Program is scheduled to be broadcast on December 8, 2020, at 6:00 AM EST — the same day that the first Yakuza game was released in Japan. That would be an excellent time to announce a new game.
The pieces of the puzzle fit — unfortunately, it's proved difficult to confirm the veracity of this tweet or the images within. As with all rumors, you should take it with a grain of salt until there's firm confirmation. We've reached out to Sega about this rumor and will update this article when we receive a reply.
Do you think we'll see Yakuza: Like an Asura announced on or before the franchise's 15th anniversary? Would you be interested in exploring the story of Masaru Watase? Let us know in the comments below!
