Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, also called Yakuza 8, is a 2024 role-playing game made by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and released by Sega. It is the ninth main game in the Like a Dragon series. Infinite Wealth follows Ichiban Kasuga, the main character from Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020), and Kazuma Kiryu, the main character from earlier games in the series. Both characters search for Kasuga's mother in Hawaii. This is the first game in the series to take place outside Japan, allowing players to explore locations in the United States and Japan at different times during the game.
The game was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on January 26, 2024. Critics gave it good reviews. A spin-off game called Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii was released in 2025.
Gameplay
In Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, players guide Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu, along with their party members, as they explore the Isezaki Ijincho district of Yokohama and Honolulu City in Hawaii. The Kamurochō district, a key location from earlier Like a Dragon games, is also included as a third area. The game uses a turn-based combat system, similar to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, where players choose actions for up to four party members during their turns to attack or defend.
The combat system, called the "Live Command RPG" Battle System, allows players to move characters freely within a ring during their turn, unlike Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Character positioning affects combat: attacking enemies from behind or near them deals more damage, objects can be used in attacks, enemies can be knocked into others, and attacking enemies near a party member may trigger additional attacks. Skills show their range, direction, and area of effect. A "Hype Meter" is added for all party members except Kasuga, allowing them to use team-up attacks with Kasuga. Kasuga can use an "Ultimate Tag Team" skill that combines all party members' Hype Meters for stronger attacks. Players can instantly defeat weaker enemies in the world, though with fewer rewards. The "Poundmates" feature returns, letting players summon non-player characters to fight in exchange for money.
Each character can choose from different job classes based on real-world roles, which affect abilities, stats, and equipment. New and returning jobs are included, with each party member having a unique job and male and female characters having different options. Kiryu’s unique job, "Dragon of Dojima," lets him switch fighting styles and temporarily use real-time combat with his Hype Meter, similar to earlier games.
The game includes open-world exploration across three cities. Players can fight enemies, complete sidequests called "sub-stories," collect items, build relationships with party members, and play minigames. Returning games include Karaoke, Darts, Mahjong, and arcade games like Virtua Fighter 3tb and Sega Bass Fishing. New minigames include Crazy Delivery (a food delivery game), Sujimon Battle (a Pokémon-style game), and Miss Match (a dating app for Kasuga). A major activity, Dondoko Island, lets players manage a resort by gathering resources, crafting items, and interacting socially. Kiryu can also complete his "Bucket List," a series of tasks that involve reflecting on his past and reconnecting with characters from earlier Like a Dragon games.
Synopsis
The game Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth takes place in 2023. It follows Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu, former members of the Tojo Clan's yakuza group. They travel to Isezaki Ijincho, Yokohama, and Honolulu, Hawaii, to go on a journey. Kasuga learns from a former friend that his biological mother, Akane Kishida, is alive in Honolulu, despite believing she had died years ago. Kiryu joins Kasuga to find and protect Akane from criminal groups, as a secret plan involving many countries is uncovered.
Returning characters from Yakuza: Like a Dragon include Yu Nanba, Koichi Adachi, Saeko Mukoda, Tianyou Zhao, and Joongi Han. New characters in Infinite Wealth are Seonhee, leader of the Geomijul syndicate and Yokohama Liumang gang; Eric Tomizawa, a taxi driver in Hawaii; and Chitose Fujinomiya, a wealthy family’s heiress who works as Akane’s maid.
Other important characters include Jo Sawashiro, a former Tojo Clan leader and Kasuga’s enemy; Eiji Mitamura, a wheelchair-using engineer Kasuga meets in Hawaii; Masataka Ebina, leader of the Seiryu Clan; Yutaka Yamai, head of the Yamai Syndicate in Hawaii; Dwight Méndez, leader of the Hawaiian Barracudas gang; Wong Tou, commander of the Chinese Ganzhe Mafia; Bryce Fairchild, head of the Palekana religious group; and Lani Mililani, a young Hawaiian girl targeted by gangs and protected by Akane.
The game includes characters from earlier games, such as Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, Daigo Dojima, Osamu Kashiwagi, Makoto Date, Shun Akiyama, and Haruka Sawamura.
In 2022, three years after the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance dissolved, Kasuga works at Hello Work, an employment agency in Ijincho, helping former yakuza find jobs. In 2023, a VTuber named Hisoka Tatara spreads lies about Kasuga starting a crime ring, causing Kasuga and his friends to lose their jobs. Later, they learn the Seiryu Clan is hiring ex-yakuza for a waste management business. They meet Masataka Ebina, who explains he is organizing a "Second Great Dissolution" to end remaining yakuza clans. Ebina works with Jo Sawashiro, who reveals Akane is alive in Hawaii and asks Kasuga to find her.
In Hawaii, Kasuga meets Eiji Mitamura, a wheelchair-using engineer. He has conflicts with Eric Tomizawa, a taxi driver, and Chitose Fujinomiya, Akane’s maid, who steals his passport. Kasuga is arrested but rescued by Kazuma Kiryu, who is searching for Akane. Kiryu and Kasuga discover Akane was part of a religious group called Palekana and learn that two gangs, the Barracudas and the Ganzhe Mafia, are also after her. Kiryu reveals he has cancer from an accident in 2020 and has six months left to live.
Kasuga’s group infiltrates a district to find Chitose, who joins them to confront the Barracudas’ leader, Dwight Méndez. They learn Akane is being hunted by Bryce Fairchild, who controls the gangs and seeks Lani, a young girl under Akane’s protection. After betrayals and conflicts, Kasuga’s group helps Wong escape and rescues Kiryu from Yamai. Kiryu returns to Japan for recovery, while Kasuga confronts Bryce, who escapes.
Back in Ijincho, Kasuga’s friends help Kiryu recover. Seonhee, Saeko, and others join to support him. Later, Kasuga learns the Seiryu Clan plans to expand its waste management business to Hawaii. Kiryu meets Ebina and Sawashiro, who claim they do not know about Palekana hunting Akane. Tatara publicly claims Kiryu plans to revive the Tojo Clan, seemingly supported by Ebina and Sawashiro.
Kasuga finds Akane and Lani hiding on a yacht. Akane reveals Lani is the last member of the Mililani family, the true successor to the title of Sage of Palekana, and that Bryce stole the position. Chitose confesses she is Tatara, working as a spy for Eiji, who faked his disability to betray Kasuga. The Barracudas attack their safehouse, killing Hanawa and Wong, while Eiji escapes with Lani. Kasuga focuses on rescuing Lani, while Kiryu confronts Sawashiro, who reveals he secretly works against Ebina’s plan to end the yakuza. Ebina plans to partner with Bryce to store Japan’s waste, but Kasuga’s group uncovers this scheme.
Development and promotion
In September 2022, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth during a livestream called the Summit. The game was first named Like a Dragon 8. The first trailer showed voices from characters in the game, and then two characters, Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu, appeared on screen. Kiryu’s new design was highlighted because it was different from how he looked in earlier games.
In early 2023, RGG Studio held a competition called the Cabaret Club Grand Prix. Five models were chosen to appear as live-action hostesses in the cabaret club minigame of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. The competition winner was chosen to appear as a character in Infinite Wealth. Among the finalists, a livestreamer and VTuber named Kson won. Her character, Kei, works at Revolve Bar, a place where players can hang out in the game.
Infinite Wealth also includes appearances by several Japanese celebrities, such as MMA fighter and YouTuber Mikuru Asakura, TV announcer Risa Unai, hip-hop artist Utamaru from Rhymester, weather reporters Saya Hiyama and Yui Komaki, and TV characters Gachapin and Mukku.
A second trailer was shown at the Xbox Games Showcase 2023, which hinted at a new setting outside Japan and confirmed the game’s new title. RGG Studio Head Masayoshi Yokoyama explained that the subtitle Infinite Wealth connects to the game’s story and helps distinguish the international version from the Japanese version, which is called Ryū ga Gotoku 8.
In September 2023, RGG Studio held another Summit livestream, where they shared details about the story, characters, and gameplay of Infinite Wealth through two new trailers. They also revealed Japanese cast members and announced that actors Danny Trejo and Daniel Dae Kim would be part of the English voice cast. For the first time in the series, a Chinese dub is available for Infinite Wealth. Chinese voice actors sing karaoke songs in Chinese, with lyrics shown in Chinese pinyin. Traditional Chinese lyrics appear if the game is set to Japanese voices, while Simplified Chinese lyrics appear if the game is set to Chinese voices.
In October 2023, RGG Studio introduced Happy Resort Dondoko Island, a side activity in Infinite Wealth, during an Xbox Partner Preview livestream. In December 2023, the studio released a trailer for the Bucket List story, which is a major side activity for Kiryu in the game.
The theme song of Infinite Wealth is “Ariamaru Tomi” (The Invaluable) by Ringo Sheena. Yokoyama said that Sheena’s music greatly influenced the story’s development and inspired him to include her song in the game.
Release
The game Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth was made available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on January 26, 2024. A trial version of the game is included with the related title Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which was released on November 9, 2023. This trial version becomes accessible after completing the main story of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name for the first time.
Reception
The game Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth received "mostly good reviews" for the PC and PS5 versions, while the Xbox Series X/S version was praised "very highly," according to Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews.
Eric Van Allen from Destructoid said the game offers many activities and a story focused on characters. However, he noted that some parts of the game are more detailed, while others are less engaging. Michael Higham from GameSpot said the game handles serious themes well but became less clear as the story progressed.
Tristan Ogilvie from IGN praised the improved combat system, saying it includes exciting and chaotic action that feels more intense than the previous game.
Famitsu, a Japanese gaming magazine, gave the game a perfect score of 40 out of 40, making it the 30th game to receive such a rating.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth sold one million copies, both digitally and physically, in the first week after its release.
By June 2025, the game had sold 1.66 million units. This included 1.18 million units sold during the 2024 fiscal year and 480,000 units sold in 2025.