Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is looking to start 2024 with a bang in January, and not only because the developers say it’s so freaking long. As Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio had already announced, it’s also packing in performances by Daniel Dae Kim (Lost, Hawaii Five-0) and Danny Trejo (Machete, Desperado) for the English version’s voice over. During today’s PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted, RGG brought out a new English language trailer with a first look at Kim and Trejo’s roles.
Kim is stepping into the suit of new character Ebina Masataka, who seems to have filled the power vacuum left in Yokohama’s criminal Seiryu Clan faction after the events of Yakuza: Like A Dragon. That will pit him against longtimeseries protagonist Kiryu Kazuma. Trejo is, fittingly, picking up a pair of machetes for the role of Dwight (just Dwight?), leader of the criminal organization The Barracudas. He’ll be butting heads with new blood hero Kasuga Ichiban who’s somehow washed up in Hawaii. Kim is providing the English language voice for Ebina, though the character’s face appears modeled after his Japanese voice actor Hasegawa Hiroki. Dwight though? That’s all Danny damn Trejo, innit?
The Yakuza series—Like A Dragon, now—is known for its over-the-top dramedy and that goes double for Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s penchant for celebrity performances. In the past, the studio’s deployed the faces and voices of well-loved Japanese talent. Film stars Ozawa Hitoshi, Takeuchi Riki, and Nakano Hideo stole the show as a trio of clan bosses in Yakuza 0 and then reprised those characters in this year’s remake of Like A Dragon: Ishin. Meanwhile, former boy band star and current actor/heartthrob Kimura Takuya leads the spinoff Judgement series as protagonist Yagami.
The series has committed to going global, prioritizing simultaneous Western launches and setting half the plot of Infinite Wealth in Hawaii, so it’s no surprise that RGG is looking to Hollywood for its performances now too. RGG made a pretty big deal of the English dub actors it secured for Yakuza: Like A Dragon back in 2020, but I’ll admit I staunchly stick to the Japanese audio so I didn’t even clock that George Takei was one of them. There’s no way I’m going to miss that Danny Trejo’s face is in this one though, right?
It’s been a big year for Yakuza already between the Ishin remake and the release of Like A Dragon Gaiden earlier this month, and 2024 may yet be bigger. Maybe I’ll even play a little in English when Infinite Wealth launches on Steam on January 25.