Ryu Ga Gotoku, the development studio behind Judgment, has been teasing an announcement with short video clips featuring game protagonist Takayuki Yagami. While no official confirmation has been made regarding a sequel, eagle-eyed fans have noticed that these clips are new, and not taken from the sole standalone game.
One of the most recent videos to be released by the studio caught the attention of fans due to the locale it's based in. Yagami never left the general area of Kamurocho, Tokyo in Judgment, but the video shows him in another place entirely that's only previously appeared once in the core Yakuza series thus far.
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The short teaser shows Yagami accosting an individual with a distinct waterfront area behind him. Those who have played Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the latest release in the core series that Judgment is a spin-off of, will likely recognize the area as a part of Yokohama, where the majority of Yakuza: Like a Dragon is located in. Although Tokyo and Yokohama are a fairly short distance away from each other in real life, Yagami's adventure in Judgment was solely focused on a case in Kamurocho, meaning he never explored other regions of Japan.
Exactly what Yagami is up to in Yokohama remains to be seen. Prior teasers and a seemingly Judgment-related copyright filed by Sega have hinted at a Judgment sequel taking an even darker turn than the first title, so any case he's pursuing in a future game or expansion may require searching for clues outside of the familiar streets of Tokyo.
Revisiting a city from Yakuza likely won't come as a huge surprise to veterans of the series, as the games frequently revisit cities that were featured in prior titles. However, it still remains to be seen if there will be any direct crossover between the two games. While the games share the same universe and references to events from prior Yakuza games are mentioned in passing, there were no major Yakuza character appearances within Judgment.
While fans are likely eager to learn more about what the development studio is hard at work on, they don't have too much longer to wait. The previously-announced Judgment Day event will arrive on May 7, which is highly likely to officially reveal a sequel. Judgment also received a recent remastered PS5 release, so players who haven't given the mystery thriller beat-'em-up a try have a chance to do so with it looking its very best.
Judgment is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Google Stadia.