Nintendo Switch to get its first Yakuza game in October: Key details

Yakuza Kiwami is coming to Nintendo Switch

Japanese game developer and publisher Sega's Yakuza series of beat'em up role-playing video games has never come to Nintendo Switch but that's going to change with Yakuza Kiwami (the word “Kiwami” stands for “extreme”). Yakuza Kiwami is the first game in the Yakuza series and will launch on the Nintendo Switch family of systems on October 24, 2024, Sega announced during Nintendo Direct 2024.

Developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Yakuza Kiwami paved the way for more Yakuza Kiwami games like Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4 etc. The Yakuza games collectively became the Yakuza series.

Yakuza Kiwami: Kazuma Kiryu’s path of redemption

In Yakuza Kiwami, you play as Kazuma Kiryu, a yakuza (a gangster belonging to Japan’s organised crime syndicate) from the Dojima family under the Tojo clan who takes the blame for the murder of his clan’s patriarch. Kazuma does that to protect Akira Nishikiyama, his sworn brother and Yumi, his childhood friend.

Taking the fall for a murder he didn’t commit leads Kazuma Kiryu to spend 10 years in prison. When his sentence is complete, Kazuma Kiryu is released in 2005. But things have changed in these past 10 years. Yumi has disappeared and Akira Nishikiyama is not the same person he was.

Kazuma Kiryu is a fearsome fighter and is also known as the Dragon of Dojima. Besides Kazuma Kiryu, the third-person Yakuza action RPG features Haruka, a young girl. Kazuma and Haruka’s destinies are entwined and you'll get to know more as the story progresses.

In Yakuza Kiwami, you can choose from four fighting styles– Brawler, Rush, Beast and Dragon– to deal with thugs of rival gangs and your other opponents in general. As Kazuma Kiryu, revel in your fighting skills with bare-knuckle fisticuffs and kicks or use objects in your environment (like a sofa chair) to smash through enemies.

The story of Yakuza Kiwami is set in the year 2005, in the fictional district of Kamurocho, Japan. Kamurocho is famous for being the entertainment centre of the city and features multiple gaming joints and baseball practice areas. If you aren’t in the mood for brawling with gang members, you can always take a break and relax for a bit at these fun joints.