For a first playthrough, use a release-aware order: start with Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, continue through Yakuza 3 (or Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties), Yakuza 4, and Yakuza 5, then play Yakuza 0 as an optional prequel before Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. Follow with Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and finally the spin-off Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
If you care more about the story timeline than the order in which players originally discovered the games, begin with Yakuza 0. That is a valid route, but it changes the context of later introductions and reveals. Neither sequence is an official mandate; the better choice depends on whether you value release-era surprises or in-universe chronology.
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What order should I play the Yakuza games in?
The safest first-playthrough route is the release-aware sequence below. It preserves the way characters, mechanics, and major reveals were introduced to the audience, while using the modern Kiwami remakes for the first two stories. Treat Yakuza 0 as an optional stop after Yakuza 5 if you want the prequel in its release-era position; move it to the beginning only if strict chronology matters more to you than reveal context.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall| Order | Game | How it fits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yakuza Kiwami | Modern remake of the first Yakuza story. |
| 2 | Yakuza Kiwami 2 | Modern remake of the second mainline story. |
| 3 | Yakuza 3 or Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties | Continue with the original/remastered third game, or use the remake. The remake also contains a separate new Dark Ties story. |
| 4 | Yakuza 4 | Expands the series to a multi-protagonist structure. |
| 5 | Yakuza 5 | Large-scale continuation of the Kazuma Kiryu saga. |
| 6 | Yakuza 0 (optional here) | Prequel played after the games that originally preceded it, preserving release-era context. |
| 7 | Yakuza 6: The Song of Life | Closes the main Kiryu-focused arc before the protagonist change. |
| 8 | Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Like a Dragon 7 in Japan) | Begins the Ichiban Kasuga-led mainline chapter. |
| 9 | Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name | Side story overlapping events around Like a Dragon; play after it for context. |
| 10 | Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth | Direct mainline follow-up to Like a Dragon. |
| 11 | Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii | Optional Majima-led spin-off placed after Infinite Wealth. |
SEGA’s official lineup catalog is useful for confirming title identity, release groupings, and supported systems: the Like a Dragon/Yakuza lineup. The order above is editorial guidance for minimizing spoilers and preserving narrative context, not a sequence SEGA requires players to follow.
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1. Yakuza Kiwami
Yakuza Kiwami is the practical starting point for most newcomers. It retells the first game with modern presentation and added material, introducing Kazuma Kiryu, the Kamurocho setting, and the relationships that later games assume you understand. Starting here lets the earliest major reveals land before the prequel supplies additional background.
2. Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza Kiwami 2 remakes the second story and follows naturally from the first. Play it immediately after Kiwami so the returning cast, political conflicts, and changes in Kiryu’s status have their intended momentum.
3. Yakuza 3 or Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
After the first two remakes, choose one version of the third story. The remastered Yakuza 3 preserves the earlier release, while Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties reimagines that game and adds a separate new story. SEGA describes the remake and its additional content in its announcement dated September 24, 2025: Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties announcement.
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4. Yakuza 4
Yakuza 4 broadens the perspective with several playable protagonists. Its structure is designed to build toward a shared conclusion, so keep its chapters together rather than alternating with another game.
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5. Yakuza 5
Yakuza 5 continues the multi-character approach on an even larger scale. It rewards players who remember the supporting cast and unresolved threads from Yakuza 4, making it a poor candidate for skipping in a first story run.
6. Yakuza 0 as the release-aware prequel stop
Yakuza 0 is set before the first game, but placing it here preserves the experience of discovering it after the earlier mainline entries. It deepens Kiryu and Goro Majima’s histories and can make later references more meaningful. Because it is a prequel, playing it earlier is also reasonable; the choice is about context, not access.
7. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Yakuza 6 is the payoff to the Kiryu-led era. Play it after the preceding Kiryu games, including Yakuza 0 if you want its character history fresh, before moving to the new protagonist and combat format of Like a Dragon.
8. Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Known as Like a Dragon 7 in Japan, this is the mainline transition to Ichiban Kasuga. It introduces a new party, a turn-based battle system, and a story that still assumes familiarity with the world established by the earlier games. Playing the Kiryu-era titles first gives returning characters and references their original weight.
9. Like a Dragon Gaiden
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name follows a side of the story that overlaps events around Like a Dragon. Its reveals and framing work best after you have finished Like a Dragon; playing it first can expose information that the seventh game expects to reveal differently.
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10. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Infinite Wealth is the next numbered mainline chapter after Like a Dragon. It develops Ichiban’s story while bringing together characters from both eras, so postponing it until the earlier mainline games are complete gives its returning-cast moments proper context. SEGA’s 2024 notice identifies it as the latest series title at that time and records its first-week sales milestone: SEGA’s Infinite Wealth announcement.
11. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an optional Majima-led spin-off rather than the next numbered mainline entry. A secondary franchise chronology places it after Infinite Wealth; playing it there avoids treating its later-world status as an unexplained detour. The chronology reference is the Yakuza franchise overview.
What is the chronological order?
For a broad in-universe chronology, use this sequence:
- Yakuza 0
- Yakuza Kiwami
- Yakuza Kiwami 2
- Yakuza 3 or Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
- Yakuza 4
- Yakuza 5
- Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (its story overlaps the period around Like a Dragon)
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
The overlap makes this a broad chronology rather than a perfectly linear timestamp list. Gaiden intersects the seventh game’s events, so splitting the two games scene by scene is unnecessary and risks disrupting both campaigns. Finish Like a Dragon, then play Gaiden, before starting Infinite Wealth.
Should I play in release order or chronological order?
| Priority | Best route | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| First playthrough with the intended reveal context | Release-aware | Characters, mechanics, and surprises arrive in the order the audience first encountered them. |
| Story timeline above all else | Chronological | Yakuza 0 establishes the earliest period before the first game. |
| Modern versions of the earliest stories | Release-aware with Kiwami remakes | Kiwami and Kiwami 2 replace the original first two games for most new players. |
| Avoiding duplicate campaigns | Choose one version of game 3 | Yakuza 3 and Kiwami 3 represent the same core chapter; the remake adds Dark Ties. |
| Including every side project | Mainline first, optional games separately | Side stories can overlap or use shared-world references without having a single spoiler-safe slot. |
Choose release-aware order if you have never played the series and want the strongest control over reveals. Choose chronology if you are comfortable with a prequel-first experience and want Kiryu and Majima’s earliest history before meeting their later selves. The prequel-first route can change the emotional effect of introductions and callbacks in Kiwami; that is its main trade-off.
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Which version of each early game should I use?
Kiwami versus the original Yakuza
For a new player, Yakuza Kiwami is the practical version of the first story. Use the original only if you specifically want its older presentation, pacing, or historical form. Switching between versions is not required to understand the saga.
Kiwami 2 versus the original Yakuza 2
Yakuza Kiwami 2 serves the same role for the second game. It is the straightforward modern entry after Kiwami; the original is mainly for players interested in comparing releases.
Yakuza 3 versus Kiwami 3
The remake option is now available. SEGA’s release notice dated February 12, 2026 lists Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam: SEGA’s release announcement. It contains the reimagined third game plus the distinct Dark Ties story, so it can be used as your third mainline stop. Players who own or prefer the remastered Yakuza 3 can still follow the same overall order.
SEGA’s February 2026 release notice also says the franchise has surpassed 27.7 million standalone game sales worldwide. That figure is franchise context, not a reason to alter your play order.
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Where do the optional spin-offs fit?
Keep the mainline route separate from side projects unless you have a specific completionist goal. The central sequence is the one that carries the long-running Kiryu-to-Ichiban narrative. Side games may share locations, characters, or historical settings without having a single universally safe position in the saga.
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Judgment and Lost Judgment
Judgment and Lost Judgment are detective-focused games set in the same broad world. They are best treated as an optional branch rather than inserted between numbered Yakuza chapters. Precise spoiler-safe placements are not established by the available title-specific evidence, so finish the mainline route first if your priority is avoiding cross-series references.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! and Ishin Kiwami
The Ishin games use historical figures and a period setting rather than continuing the modern Kamurocho timeline. Play them whenever you want a self-contained historical detour; they are not prerequisites for the numbered story.
Other side projects
Older spin-offs and adaptations can be approached after the mainline games. Their connections, tone, and availability vary, so do not let a side title interrupt the progression from Yakuza 6 to Like a Dragon unless you specifically want that side story.
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- Pick your opening philosophy. Select Kiwami for release-aware play or Yakuza 0 for strict chronology.
- Commit to one edition of each remake pair. Use Kiwami and Kiwami 2 unless you deliberately want the originals; choose either Yakuza 3 or Kiwami 3.
- Keep the numbered games together. Do not insert optional spin-offs between Yakuza 4, 5, and 6 if you want the central arc to remain clear.
- Place Yakuza 0 deliberately. Put it first for chronology or after Yakuza 5 for release-era context; either choice is coherent.
- Finish Like a Dragon before Gaiden. The overlap makes the seventh game the necessary context for the side story.
- Play Infinite Wealth before Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. That preserves the later-world placement used by the available franchise chronology.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Starting with every game labeled “0” or “Kiwami” without a plan. Yakuza 0 is a prequel, while Kiwami is a remake; their labels do not indicate a mandatory starting order.
- Playing both versions of the same story by accident. The original and remake of the first, second, and third games overlap substantially. Pick one version for your main run.
- Putting Gaiden before Like a Dragon. Its overlapping events make the seventh game the better context point.
- Treating Pirate Yakuza as a numbered sequel. It is a spin-off and can wait until after Infinite Wealth.
- Assuming a chronological list is automatically spoiler-free. A prequel can reveal the significance of characters or events that the earlier-released games intended to introduce later.
- Using platform lists as an order recommendation. Availability tells you where a game can be played, not when its story should be experienced.
Current release note for Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties launched on February 12, 2026 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. It is therefore a current replacement option for the third mainline chapter, not an announced future release. If your chosen platform does not support that edition, the remastered Yakuza 3 remains compatible with the order shown above.
The official catalog and release announcements are the best places to verify regional editions and platform details because availability can differ by storefront and territory. No live US price is included here; prices, physical stock, and edition names change independently of the narrative order.
A concise decision guide
- New to the series: Kiwami, Kiwami 2, Yakuza 3 or Kiwami 3, 4, 5, 0, 6, Like a Dragon, Gaiden, Infinite Wealth, then Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
- Timeline-first player: start with Yakuza 0, then follow the same sequence from Kiwami onward.
- Only interested in the new protagonist: begin with Like a Dragon, but expect older-character references and returning figures to carry less context.
- Only interested in Majima’s later spin-off: finish Infinite Wealth before Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
The release-aware route is the best all-purpose recommendation because it respects the series’ original reveal structure while letting modern players use the remakes. Chronology is an equally legitimate alternative when the timeline itself is your main priority.
Quick Recap
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