Spoilers for all preceding Like a Dragon entries will be left unmarked. You Have Been Warned!

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, released in Japan as 龍が如く７外伝 名を消した男 (Ryū Ga Gotoku 7 Gaiden - Na wo Keshita Otoko, lit. Like a Dragon 7 Side Story: The Man Who Erased His Name) is a Gaiden Game in Sega's venerated Like a Dragon series. It is slated for release on November 9, 2023, for Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

Taking place between the events of Yakuza 6 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the game once again places players in the role of Kazuma Kiryu, who faked his death at the end of 6 to protect his family and now lives in hiding. His quiet life as a simple man in a monastery is threatened, however, when outside forces push him back into the criminal underworld that he has been desperate to escape from. Now, under the codename of "Joryu", he finds himself thrust back into the fray as he is tasked with protecting a new ward.

As opposed to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which introduced Turn-Based Combat as befitting its JRPG-loving new hero Ichiban Kasuga, Like a Dragon Gaiden returns to the series' classic action-brawler combat, as Kiryu once more faces down his foes. In addition to his tried-and-true "Yakuza" style of combat, which sees him overwhelm his foes with powerful blows, Kiryu has a brand-new "Agent" fighting style which favors speed, precision, and the use of high-tech gadgets, including electrically-charged wires to bind enemies and snatch weapons from across a distance. Outside of combat, the Like a Dragon series' famous sidequests and minigames also make a return, including karaoke, Pocket Circuit racing, and chatting it up at hostess clubs (now with full-motion video of the hostesses!).

Announcement Trailer, Gameplay Reveal Trailer, Overview Trailer & Developer Update

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name provides examples of:

• Actor Allusion: As shown in the 2023 overview trailer, one of the outfits Kiryu can wear is a dead-ringer for an ensemble his Japanese voice actor, Takaya Kuroda tends to wear, particularly his fedora and sunglasses.
• Attack Drone: As shown at the RGG Summer Summit 2023, Agent style gives Kiryu access to remote-controlled drones that can harass and distract enemies.
• Badass in a Nice Suit: Shown throughout various trailers and demos. Instead of his signature grey suit and maroon shirt, Kiryu now rocks a black suit, white shirt, and glasses to fit in with the agent lifestyle.
• Breaking Old Trends: This is the first game in the mainline series to not feature Kamurocho as an explorable city, breaking a grand 10 game streak (13 if you count the Kiwami remakes and the original games separately as well as the The Kaito Files).
• The Bus Came Back: Gameplay variant, but Pocket Circuit returns as a minigame, after being absent ever since Yakuza Kiwami in 2016.
• Call-Forward: The end of the Story Trailer has Kiryu leaving to go on his vacation. One of his destinations will be Hawaii, where he states he is saving "the best for last". This is a not-so-subtle nod to his adventures with Ichiban Kasuga, who also has ended up in Hawaii, for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
• Character Customization: The overview trailer shows that Kiryu can be outfitted in a variety of different clothes and suits.
• Color-Coded for Your Convenience: As with previous entries featuring multiple fighting styles, each one has its own signature color - red for the Yakuza style, and blue for the Agent style.
• Continuity Cameo: In the overview trailer, Sugiura from the Judgment games can be seen as a selectable ally in arena battles.
• Cool Boat: Previews show that one of the new location is "The Castle", a cargo ship that also happens to house a massive casino complete with various bonus activities such as gambling, a host club and a coliseum.
• Gaiden Game: It's in the title, with the game serving as an interquel between 6 and Infinite Wealth, with the RGG Summer Summit 2023 giving the time period of about 3 years after 6.
• Game Within a Game: As per series tradition, retro Sega games are available, such as Sonic the Fighters. Like in Lost Judgment, there's Master System games as well.
• Grappling-Hook Pistol: As shown in the gameplay trailer and the RGG Summer Summit 2023, Kiryu now has access to grappling wires which can bind enemies and collect useable weapons from range.
• Inelegant Blubbering: While Kiryu has shed Manly Tears before, the overview trailer shows a scene of Kiryu completely breaking down into tears and ugly-crying.
• Late-Arrival Spoiler: Should go without saying, but Kiryu Faking the Dead is a direct consequence of the events of Yakuza 6, as is his involvement with the Daidoji Faction.
• Lip Lock: Averted. Regardless of whether the English of Japanese voiceovers are selected, the characters' lip movements are animated to match, just as in Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
• Live-Action Cutscene: As shown in the gameplay trailer, the hostesses interact with Kiryu via live-action cutscenes from his perspective, similar to the chat minigame from Yakuza 6.
• Meaningful Rename: As shown in the announcement teaser, after going into hiding and living as a disciple of the Daidoji Temple, Kiryu renounces his own name and becomes "Joryu", ^Kanji  浄龍 which literally means, "Purified Dragon".
• One-Steve Limit: Subverted; the RGG Summer Summit 2023 identifies a character as Homare Nishitani, though it explains it is not the same character from Yakuza 0. The game also introduces Yuki Tsuruno, the second male character to bear that first name after Yuki Sato (one of the Mr. Shakedowns from 0), and the third "Yuki" overall (counting a certain club hostess).
• P.O.V. Sequel: The story is set between 6 and Infinite Wealth, so part of it shows the events of Yakuza: Like a Dragon that Kiryu was involved in, complete with Ichiban and his party making cameos.
• Shoe Phone: Per the Gameplay Overview trailer, Agent style gives Kiryu access to a variety of gadgets disguised as ordinary objects, such as a wristwatch that fires grappling wires, shoes with rocket thrusters in the heels, and bombs disguised as cigarettes.
• Shout-Out: Nishitani III pulls off the famous bike sliding stop from AKIRA when meeting Kiryu.
• Stance System: As elaborated on at the RGG Summer Summit 2023, Kiryu has two combat stances in fights:
  • Yakuza, which focuses on overwhelming his enemies with brute force, described as the "final form" of Kiryu's fighting style. It brings back Kiryu's classic combos and incorporating his Dragon Engine moveset; fusing both into one ultimate yakuza fighting style.
  • Agent, a new style which focuses on precise strikes as well as utilizing spy gadgets, is described as a swift and deadly style inspired by different martial arts across the world.
• That Man Is Dead: Invoked by Kiryu, who faked his death in Yakuza 6, so as far as the general public is concerned, Kazuma Kiryu is dead. Now, he goes by the alias of "Joryu", as stated in the 2022 reveal teaser.
• Tuxedo and Martini: According to the RGG Summer Summit 2023, Kiryu's new status as a government agent complete with various gadgets has made him into something of a James Bond-like figure in this game.
• Virtual Paper Doll: The 2023 overview trailer shows that rather than just being able to change his appearance as a post-game bonus, Kiryu's outfit can be customized so that he can wear various suits, pants, and even hats.