TECH NEWS – The future of the Shenmue franchise may still be up in the air, but one thing is clear: the Japanese developer considers it unacceptable for deepfake videos to mislead fans and misuse the studio’s name.
The future of the Shenmue franchise remains uncertain, but the Japanese developer says that using deepfake videos is unacceptable. Ys Net is considering legal action after a video falsely claiming to be about Shenmue 4 appeared on the internet last week. In a statement, the studio said the video infringed on its copyright by using its logo without permission and implying that the video was official material.
— YS NET Inc. (@YSNET_Inc) December 8, 2025
“Ys Net Inc. has confirmed that a video has been posted on social media using our company logo without permission and giving the false impression that it is an official Shenmue 4-related video produced by us. This video has absolutely no connection to Ys Net. Furthermore, Ys Net has not yet released any trailers, footage, or other promotional materials related to Shenmue 4. We recognize that the unauthorized use of our logo and any act that misleads viewers into believing that the content is official constitutes a serious issue that may amount to trademark infringement and unfair competition. We are currently working with the relevant parties and preparing appropriate measures, including potential legal action. We sincerely apologize to our fans and all related parties for any confusion this may have caused. We will continue to ensure the proper and accurate dissemination of information, and we ask for your understanding and cooperation,” claims the Japanese studio’s statement.
Shenmue 3 was one of Kickstarter’s biggest successes, raising $7.17 million instead of its $2 million goal. The game was published by Deep Silver from 2019 to 2024; since then, Inin Games has taken over. The game runs on Unreal Engine 4 and was released for PlayStation 4 and PC in November 2019. However, in August of this year, an enhanced version was announced that will be released for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and an unspecified Nintendo platform, which will most likely be the Switch 2.
Source: Gamesindustry
Leave a Reply