Joshua Robertson is the news editor for TheGamer. When he's not writing about the latest news, community stories, or industry events, you can find him begging FromSoftware for a Bloodborne remaster.
Yakuza developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios hasn't done a great job of keeping their fans happy and excited about upcoming projects over the past few months. Ignoring the near-constant barrage of criticism for refusing to remove controversial Japanese actor Teruyuki Kagawa – who admitted to groping a woman in 2019 – from Kiwami 3, it has slowly turned many of the developer's previously loyal fans against them.
You'd think that both Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios would do everything in their power to further stoke the flames of hatred, but the recent decision to remove Yakuza 0 from nearly all stores and replace it with the more expensive Director's Cut has kicked fans even further. That's right, you can get your hands on the original version of Yakuza 0 until December 8th before it disappears into the void and is no longer available for purchase on Steam, Xbox One, or PlayStation 4.
Yakuza 0 is scrapped and replaced by the Director's Cut
Even if you ignore understandable concerns about video game preservation, a lot of fans are just upset that the cheaper version of Yakuza 0 is being pulled from stores in exchange for the more expensive Director's Cut. You can get the original Yakuza 0 for around $20, while the Director's Cut will set you back $50, and not many fans think the extra content in the Director's Cut is worth the price hike.
I'm afraid to get into the game as a dragon, so I play the Yakuza spin-offs instead
There are so many mainline Yakuza games, so why not start with a spin-off instead?
Additionally, the Director's Cut is exclusive to PS5 and Xbox Series X, meaning you won't actually be able to buy any PS4 and Xbox One versions of Yakuza 0 once it's removed. To say it's an unpopular decision would be an understatement, and now you have loyal fans claiming that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios has managed to destroy the goodwill they've built up over the years, with people going so far as to say they “now despise this company”.
If you're looking to grab a copy of Yakuza 0: Director's Cut on the cheap, Sega is offering an upgrade path for digital owners of the original Yakuza 0 for $15. That means you can buy the original version for $20 and then upgrade immediately to avoid spending the full $50 on the Director's Cut when it arrives on December 8th. However, judging by the reactions, something tells me that it probably won't bother the fans too much now.
- Released
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January 24, 2017
- ESRB
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M For Adults 17+ due to blood, intense violence, sexual content, coarse language, use of alcohol
- Developers
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Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
