Yakuza Kiwami 3 just leaked — here’s what that actually means for fans

The leak that finally makes sense for Yakuza fans

I’ve been waiting for this one. Yakuza Kiwami 3 briefly appeared on RGG Studio’s official site before getting yoinked-classic “someone hit publish too early” energy-and it lines up with the RGG Summit on September 24. Add in rumblings that Switch 2 versions of Yakuza Kiwami and Kiwami 2 land on November 13, and it feels like RGG is lining up a proper Kiryu push heading into the holidays. If you’ve followed this series since the PS2/PS3 era, you know why Kiwami 3 is the missing piece.

Key takeaways

• Yakuza Kiwami 3 appeared on RGG’s official site, then vanished-expect a reveal at the RGG Summit on September 24.
• This would be a full remake of Yakuza 3, likely in RGG’s modern engine, fixing PS3-era combat jank and restoring content properly.
• RGG is also expected to show Switch 2 versions of Kiwami 1 and 2 (targeted for November 13), signaling a broader Nintendo push.
• Temper expectations: a site slip isn’t a release date. A realistic launch window is late 2025 to 2026, with platform performance questions to watch.

Breaking down the leak

The name showing up—however briefly—on RGG’s official site is the sort of “oops” that tends to precede reveals. We’ve seen similar slip-ups ahead of past Like a Dragon announcements. It’s not ironclad confirmation, but it’s stronger than a retailer placeholder or a random database entry. The timing also tracks: the RGG Summit happens during Tokyo Game Show week, and that’s when the studio loves to roll out trailers, platforms, and windows.

The other half of the story is Nintendo’s next-gen angle. Kiwami 1 and 2 landing on Switch 2 in mid-November would put Kiryu in front of a fresh audience with modern hardware. If RGG is serious about nurturing that crowd, teasing Kiwami 3 right alongside those ports is smart sequencing.

Why Yakuza 3 is the one that needs a do-over

Yakuza 3 is beloved for its Okinawa arc—sun-bleached beaches, the Morning Glory orphanage, that bittersweet “can Kiryu ever actually retire?” vibe—but the 2009 PS3 release showed its age even back then. Western fans also got a raw deal at launch with cut substories and missing minigames, later addressed in the Remastered Collection. Even with those fixes, the game still played like an early Dragon prototype: slower combat, sticky lock-ons, defensive boss walls, and heat actions that felt inconsistent returning from Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 2.

Kiwami 1 was a solid modernization; Kiwami 2 in the Dragon Engine was the real glow-up, with weighty strikes, smoother traversal, and smart new story material (that Majima side campaign still rules). If Kiwami 3 follows that template—modern combat, restored content, and a respectful polish pass on pacing—it could finally put 1-3 on equal footing for newcomers who discovered the series via 0 or Infinite Wealth.

What to actually expect from Kiwami 3

If the pattern holds, we’ll get a remake built on RGG’s current tech with tighter brawling, sharper visuals, and all the side content intact. I’m hoping for:

• Combat that matches Kiwami 2/Gaiden’s pace and impact, with clean heat action prompts and fewer “bosses who block everything for 90% of the fight.”
• Full restoration of hostess clubs, Mahjong, and substories—plus a couple of new ones that nod to long-time fans without breaking canon.
• Localization on par with the recent mainline entries, including better handling of honorifics and cultural context.
• Quality-of-life updates: faster loads between Okinawa and Kamurocho, map readability that doesn’t make you babysit the minimap, and modern accessibility options.

The big question: do they tweak story pacing around the orphanage slice-of-life beats? I hope they resist the urge to sand those down. That contrast between quiet Okinawa and violent Kamurocho is the soul of 3; it just needs smoother on-ramps, not a tonal rewrite.

The platform question, especially Switch 2

With Kiwami and Kiwami 2 apparently hitting Switch 2 on November 13, it’s fair to ask if Kiwami 3 could arrive day-and-date on Nintendo’s new box. My read: probably not immediately. RGG tends to prioritize PlayStation, Xbox, and PC for launch, then bring Nintendo along once tech and scheduling line up. Still, if Switch 2 really delivers the rumored horsepower bump, a competent port of a Dragon Engine remake feels plausible—even if it means 30 fps with dynamic resolution rather than a locked 60.

For PS5 and Series X|S, expect 60 fps targets and faster loads; on PC, watch how CPU-bound the Dragon Engine is this time and whether stutter gets under control at launch.

Why this matters now

Infinite Wealth brought a wave of new players into Like a Dragon this year. A Kiwami 3 remake gives them a coherent path through Kiryu’s early saga without bouncing off PS3-era design. It also signals RGG might be willing to go further—Kiwami 4 and 5 aren’t inevitable, but if 3 lands well, the door is open. The skeptic in me notes RGG’s packed pipeline and the risk of “just another remake,” but the fan in me sees a chance to elevate one of the series’ most thematically important entries.

TL;DR

Yakuza Kiwami 3 popping up on RGG’s site before the RGG Summit strongly hints at a real reveal. Expect a modernized take on Yakuza 3’s Okinawa/Kamurocho journey, smarter combat, restored side content, and a multi-platform rollout—while Switch 2 gets Kiwami 1 and 2 in November. It’s not official until it’s on stage, but the pieces fit, and this is the remake that actually matters.