The Yakuza franchise was once closely associated with the PlayStation brand, with basically every game in the series releasing as a timed-PlayStation exclusive. However, that changed with Yakuza: Like a Dragon, with the next-generation of that game console-exclusive to Xbox Series X, making PlayStation 5 owners wait a few months to get their hands on it. Yakuza: Like a Dragon proved to be one of the most highly-rated Xbox Series X launch titles, and it seems Xbox fans will soon get to play it without actually buying it outright.

Tom Warren of The Verge has confirmed that Yakuza: Like a Dragon is coming to Xbox Game Pass. It's unclear exactly when this announcement will be made, but it's quite possible that the reveal will happen at the Xbox E3 2021 event, scheduled to take place Sunday, June 13 at 10am PT. And if other leaks are to be believed, Yakuza: Like a Dragon may not be the only Xbox Game Pass announcement in store for E3.

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It's also rumored that A Plague Tale: Requiem, the leaked sequel to A Plague Tale, is also going to be confirmed as an Xbox Game Pass game. The Left 4 Dead spiritual successor Back 4 Blood has also been leaked for Game Pass, so the event could be hugely exciting for subscribers to Microsoft's service.

When Yakuza: Like a Dragon comes to Xbox Game Pass, it will allow fans of the franchise to play through the main series in its entirety on the service. This includes all six of the original Yakuza series, which are action-oriented beat 'em ups as opposed to the turn-based RPG gameplay found in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. While the combat mechanics may be different, though, the original Yakuza games and Like a Dragon share the same sense of humor and quirky open world gameplay.

It will be interesting to see if other Yakuza series games comes to Xbox Game Pass as well. Besides Like a Dragon, the only other Yakuza series game that's not on Game Pass is Judgment, which is a spin-off that turns the series into a detective mystery game. A sequel, Lost Judgment, is already in the works, and considering how Xbox seems like it is actively attempting to bring the entire franchise to Game Pass, one has to imagine that they'll be added eventually.

More on Xbox Game Pass new games will come during the Xbox E3 2021 press conference on June 13.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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