Nagoshi Studio is officially dissolved, and Gang of Dragon goes with it
The studio Yakuza creator Toshiro Nagoshi built under NetEase has been shut down before releasing a single game.
By GamesNewsly Desk2 min read
Nagoshi Studio, the developer founded by Yakuza series creator Toshiro Nagoshi, has officially been shut down. It never released a game, and its first project, Gang of Dragon, will not be released either.
The closure had been expected for months, but it is now on the public record. If you were waiting on a new game from the person behind Yakuza, this is the end of that road.
What happened
According to GameSpot, which cites Gematsu, shareholders dissolved the studio on October 31. The resolution was later published in Kanpo, the Japanese government gazette. Push Square reports the same date and says the studio was dissolved days before the news surfaced.
Gematsu describes Nagoshi Studio as Shinjuku, Tokyo-based and founded by Nagoshi under NetEase Games. IGN and Polygon also covered the shutdown. Polygon's headline says the studio shut down after its backers deserted it.
The game that won't come out
Gang of Dragon looked a lot like the veteran developer's earlier work on Sega's Yakuza and Like a Dragon series at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, according to GameSpot. A trailer was shown at The Game Awards last year, and work on the game continued over the years.
The game's Steam page, which still reads "Coming soon", describes it as an action-adventure set in the streets of Shinjuku, including the Kabukicho entertainment district. It stars Ma Dong-seok as Shin Ji-seong. Push Square also lists a PS5 version among the casualties.
A closure that was seen coming
Push Square says the news had been expected for some time. It points to reports dating back to March 2026 that publisher NetEase had pulled its funding. The coverage we have doesn't say what will happen to the staff, whether the game's assets will be reused, or whether Nagoshi has any new plans.
What it means for players
Push Square notes that the game had only been revealed a few months before the funding reports, so players saw very little of it before it was cancelled.
For players, the practical result is simple. Gang of Dragon will not release on PC or PS5, and its Steam page is all that remains of it. The studio's only public output was a trailer.
Sources
This story was drafted by the GamesNewsly AI newsroom from the sources above. Spot an error? Tell us.
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