Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii moves its launch up by a week to avoid being hunted by a monster

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(Image credit: Sega)

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii screenshot

RGG Studio and Sega dropped a new trailer for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii at yesterday’s Xbox Partner Preview showcase, and also a surprise new release date: Instead of coming on February 28, 2025 as planned, it will come out one week earlier, on February 21. Now we know why, and the reason is eminently practical.

“This is partly because development is progressing more smoothly than expected, but we also want to deliver the game to players around the world as soon as possible. We wanted you to be able to play the game that comes after it with peace of mind.”

We’d like to share a message from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio about Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s release date 🗓️ https://t.co/ubPC197luu pic.twitter.com/HuMcz5VFZkOctober 17, 2024

A little cryptic, no? February is already anabsurdly stacked month, with releases includingKingdom Come: Deliverance 2(February 11),Civilization 7(February 11),Assassin’s Creed Shadows(February 14), andAvowed(February 18). But the real culprit seems most likely to beMonster Hunter Wilds, which is set for February 27—the same day Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii was originally set to launch. That’s going to be a big one: Monster Hunter Wilds currently sits atop the list ofSteam’s most wishlisted games, so you can understand why RGG Studio might want to get out of the way.

A week may or may not be enough time to finish Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii ahead of Monster Hunter Wilds' release, but what really matters is clearing the deck for those day-one (and week-one) sales. Moving off the shared spot means gamers interested in both don’t have to make a choice, and that can make all the difference between a strong start (and lucrative full-price sales) and languishing on a wishlist until another dry spell opens up.

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