Stranger Than Heaven director says RGG 'intentionally' forgot about Yakuza to create 'something new' — 'Every single aspect of it, we started thinking about it from scratch, just to suit the style of Stranger Than Heaven'

Mikinobu Abe, the director of Stranger Than Heaven, has revealed that the upcoming role-playing action game was intentionally developed to be distinct from RGG Studio's Yakuza franchise. In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Abe stated that the team embarked on this new project with the goal of creating something entirely different from the previous games.

Abe emphasized that there was no prior discussion about Yakuza or Like A Dragon while working on Stranger Than Heaven. Instead, the team devoted themselves to starting from scratch and crafting a unique experience. The game features a historical timeline spanning five distinct eras and cities over a period of 50 years, a significant departure from the localized settings and timeframes of the Yakuza series.

Abe clarified that the team never compared Stranger Than Heaven to its past titles, ensuring that the game was an entirely fresh creation. This intentional disconnect from their previous work allowed the team to approach the game with a new perspective, focusing on aspects such as the world's map, user interface, narrative, and cutscenes.

Stranger Than Heaven is set to release on January 15, 2027, for PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.