By Ethan Wilson | Oct 01, 2025
Announcements of Yakuza Kiwami 3 started to speculate upon mention on RGG Studio's website in September. The post was quickly removed, and it was a week later that RGG hosted their confirmed Yakuza Kiwami 3 video, shown in their own version of Yakuza Kiwami 3, telling story details including the side story "Dark Ties," which explored the backstory of Yoshitaka Mine, while some story elements were overshadowed and now will be compounded with Kagawa's exclusion.Actor History Spurns Internet Outcry
Yakuza Kiwami 3 features redesigned versions of three supporting characters: Shigeru Nakahara, Rikiya Shimabukuro, and Goh Hamazaki. Teruyuki Kagawa was cast as the voice of Hamazaki, which ultimately led to a backlash from fans against RGG Studio. Kagawa is a notable actor and has been active in acting for the past 20 years, so there may be resonance with the stories shared. In 2022, Kagawa admitted to allegations of sexual assault that were first reported in a news article in 2019. Kagawa subsequently lost his partnership with Toyota, where he was brand representative.
Many fans thought it was disgraceful to hire Kagawa, and many fans were outraged that RGG and the publisher Sega were hiring him as well. Many were online endorsing a boycott, while some were likely inspired to cancel pre-release. Understanding the Yakuza story often creates moments that connect to the moral value in the component of the stories for moral decisions.
Online Petition & Possible Response Shared
The petition against Kagawa has grown to about 2500 signatures on Line during the last two weeks since the announcement of the cast, showing clarity that hiring Kagawa was again contradictory to the hiring value system. Neither Studio RGG nor Sega has made any remarks about the backlash.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 is intended to be released on February 11, 2026, and if thinking one step ahead, it stands to reason that Kagawa has probably already recorded his lines and performance to review after possible casting. With that said, if fans are agitated, there is the possibility RGG would consider changing, but if that were to happen in the timeline, it would at least create some discussions or headlines.
