RGG Studio has once again made a move that a chunk of the community sees as blatantly anti-consumer. This time, the controversy revolves around Yakuza 3 Remastered, which will soon stop being available as a standalone purchase. Instead, new players will only be able to access it through the pricey Yakuza Complete Series pack – a decision that’s already triggering familiar anger across the fanbase.
The release of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is just around the corner, and the studio is clearly ramping up its messaging – but not all of it is landing well. Alongside describing the remake as a project “made with heart” and promising “completely new experiences,” RGG Studio has also confirmed that Yakuza 3 Remastered is headed for a very different future, and it won’t be accessible in the way many players expected.
Yakuza 3 Remastered will no longer be sold individually
In a statement posted on social media, RGG Studio explained that anyone who already owns Yakuza 3 Remastered “can continue playing it” as normal. The problem is what comes next: new players who want to experience the remastered “original version” will only be able to do so by purchasing the Yakuza Complete Series bundle. In other words, once the remake is out, the remaster will no longer function as a cheaper alternative. And that’s exactly what has set the community off, especially since the bundle is being sold at a steep price point: €130 on the PS Store, the Xbox Store, and on Steam.
In the same message, the studio says it’s trying to stay aligned with its “creative direction” and thanks fans for their support, but the change in availability has clearly upset a lot of players – particularly because something similar previously happened with Yakuza 0 and its later Director’s Cut. It’s also worth noting that Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties launches on February 12, 2026 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PS4, and until that date the remaster can still be purchased separately from digital storefronts. If you want it in your library as an individual purchase, this may be the last chance.
At the same time, Automaton published remarks from director and producer Ryosuke Horii that shed light on the studio’s thinking behind the remake. He argues that the most delicate part of making a remake is deciding how much of the original should remain intact – leaning too heavily on it can result in something “mediocre.” Horii says part of their work involved pushing back against nostalgia and “idealized memories,” because Yakuza 3 was “a game with many rough edges,” and meaningful changes were required to make the remake truly work. He also points out that the Kiwami 3 team is the youngest in the studio’s history, which helped inject freshness and modernize certain systems (including combat) to a level comparable with more recent entries.
Source: 3djuegos
