Kiryu Finally Comes to Switch With a Yakuza Kiwami Port

The Yakuza series will at long last make its debut on Nintendo Switch thanks to a port of Yakuza Kiwami later this year.

Set to release on October 24, 2024, the new port of Yakuza Kiwami will introduce Switch owners to the original story of the series. After taking the fall for the murder of a crime boss, Kazama Kiryu is sent to prison for 10 years. He returns to a changed world, the absence of his long-term friend Yumi, and yakuza clans on the verge of all-out war.

The game takes place in the entertainment district of Kamurocho (based on Kabukicho in real-life Tokyo), a region in which plenty of rival goons won’t be happy to see Kiryu return. Fortunately, the Dragon of Dojima is more than capable of taking them on, with four distinct fighting styles – Brawler, Rush, Beast, and Dragon – available to swap between as he batters his way through the competition in real-time combat. This being a Yakuza game, you can also take breaks from clan conflict to enjoy minigames including mahjong, baseball, and adorable photo shoot opportunities.

Yakuza Kiwami, a remake of the 2002 original Yakuza game, first released on PlayStation 4 back in 2017. It then made the jump to PC and Xbox in 2019 and 2020, respectively. With the newly announced Nintendo Switch port set to arrive in October, there’s hope that further games from the series will also eventually be playable by Nintendo fans.

The Yakuza Kiwami Switch release was announced during Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase + Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase. The broadcast included plenty of further announcements for the hybrid gaming console, including Shrek DLC for PowerWash Simulator, a new Atelier game, and more!