Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Becomes Surprise Hit in Europe, Says RGG Studio

RGG Studio’s latest title, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, is making waves overseas—especially in Europe—defying the series’ usual domestic-first sales pattern.

The spin-off, which launched on February 21, 2025, has delivered a strong performance across international markets, with Europe emerging as a surprising leader in sales.

Europe Sales Outpace Japan for the First Time

According to series director Masayoshi Yokoyama, who spoke with Denfaminicogamer (via Automaton), the game has received an enthusiastic reception across European territories, particularly in the United Kingdom, which played a key role in the game’s commercial success.

 “We didn’t make it with a traditional pirate theme in mind,” Yokoyama explained. “It was more of a Yakuza side story that happened to feature pirates. But players, especially in Europe, really embraced those elements.”

This marks a major departure from the franchise's history. Just last year, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth became the fastest-selling entry in series history, largely due to strong sales in Japan. Similarly, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name saw exceptional domestic performance, signaling a revitalized fanbase at home.

While Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii may not be a runaway global blockbuster on the scale of Infinite Wealth, it’s already being considered a creative and commercial win for RGG Studio.

The game introduced several firsts for the series—including naval combat systems, open-sea exploration, and tropical settings inspired by Hawaii.

Still Strong at Home

While Europe may have taken the lead this time, the game still performed respectably in Japan. According to Famitsu, the PS5 version debuted at No. 1 on Japanese retail charts with 68,219 units sold during its launch week (ending February 23, 2025), while the PS4 version claimed second place with 36,942 units sold.

These figures confirm that Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii wasn’t a flop in its home country—but rather, it simply found even greater momentum abroad.