Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi confirms leaving Sega

Ryu Ga Gotoku StudioThe leadership of the Sega team responsible for the Yakuza and Judgment series has changed.

In a big announcement, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio revealed that Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator of the Yakuza series and long-term creative director and studio head, will leave the studio. Nagoshi will be replaced by Masayoshi Yokoyama.

Producer Daisuke Sato will also leave the studios of Sega and Long Jia Wude. Game director Ryosuke Horii and producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto will now share the core leadership of the studio. The two did not say where they would eventually go, but we may have an idea.

In late August, Bloomberg reported that Nagoshi has been negotiating with Chinese publisher NetEase, and NetEase hopes that this senior designer will lead a new team and engage in internationally attractive work. It is not clear whether Sato will join him.

In the farewell message, Mingyue thanked the fans for their continued support of the studio and its games.

Nagoshi said: “Because I have learned a lot from many people around me, I insist on and am here now.” “Thanks to my colleagues who supported me, so that I can hone my mentality and constantly push boundaries.”

“Although I am not sure what they will create, I believe that the new generation will further consolidate the foundation we have built over the years and provide excellent games to the world. To achieve this goal, they also need to continue to learn, challenge themselves, and grow . I ask you to continue to support the studio’s efforts,” he added.

Sato has the same view, saying that he fully believes in the studio’s ability to continue to innovate, implying that it can surpass the gang.

“I believe that the studio is not only capable of continuing the Yakuza series, but also capable of continuing this momentum further afield. The talents of the studio are very capable of doing this, which is why I can leave it to them to take care of confidence ,” Sato said.