Near the end of 2024, it was confirmed that professional wrestler Samoa Joe, a former WWE United States Champion and AEW World Champion, would appear in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. This confirmation undoubtedly increased the excitement surrounding the forthcoming title, though Samoa Joe is certainly not the first celebrity to appear in a Yakuza game. Indeed, celebrity appearances are something of a tradition in the Like a Dragon series, and that tradition is set to be upheld by Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.