According to Wccftech, Toshihiro Nagoshi, who left SEGA in 2021 after 32 years, has announced his debut project with Nagoshi Studio, formed in 2022 in partnership with NetEase. The game is called Gang of Dragon, an action-adventure title revealed at The Game Awards 2025. It stars South Korean actor Ma Dong-seok, also known as Don Lee, as the lead character Shin Ji-seong, a high-ranking member of a Korean crime syndicate. The game is set specifically in the Kabukicho district of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Nagoshi stated the project is “deep in development” for PC, with no specific release date yet, though a 2027 launch window is speculated.
Nagoshi’s Promise Kept
Here’s the thing: when Nagoshi partnered with NetEase, a lot of fans got nervous. And you can’t blame them. NetEase is a mobile and live-service titan. The fear was that the mind behind Kiryu Kazuma’s deeply human, story-driven brawls would be pushed into making gacha games. But this announcement feels like a direct rebuttal to that. Nagoshi basically said, “Don’t worry, I’m still making *my* kind of game.” Gang of Dragon, from its cinematic trailer and Kabukicho setting, looks like it lives in the same tonal universe as Yakuza. It’s a relief. He didn’t just take the money and run to mobile; he’s using that backing to build what seems like a spiritual successor on his own terms.
The Don Lee Factor
Casting Ma Dong-seok, or Don Lee, is a masterstroke. This isn’t just getting a famous face. Look at his filmography: Train to Busan, The Outlaws, the brutal realism of Unstoppable. He embodies a specific kind of raw, physical charisma that’s perfect for a crime drama. He’s not just an actor; he’s a vibe. In a genre that can sometimes feel overly stylized, Don Lee brings a grounded, heavyweight presence. It signals that Nagoshi is going for a certain authenticity in the “powerful new human drama” he’s promising. You believe this guy could be a high-ranking syndicate member. It immediately sets a tone.
What This Means For Players
So, what are we actually getting? It’s clearly not Yakuza, and that’s probably for the best. Nagoshi doesn’t have to play in SEGA’s sandbox anymore. He can explore similar themes—the lives of outlaws in a hyper-realistic urban setting—without being shackled to the specific gameplay loops of Kamurocho. Will it have arcades? Karaoke? Absurd substories? Maybe, maybe not. The point is the creative freedom. For players, it means we’re getting a new Nagoshi-world, one infused with a Korean crime syndicate perspective in the heart of Tokyo. That’s a fascinating cultural cocktail you wouldn’t get from a mainstream publisher. The risk is that it might feel *too* familiar, a reskin rather than a revolution. But I think Nagoshi has earned the benefit of the doubt.
The Long Road Ahead
Now, the bad news: we’re gonna be waiting a while. “Deep in development” with no platforms beyond PC confirmed and no release window means this is a 2027 game, at the earliest. That’s a long hype cycle to manage. But in a way, it’s smart. Announcing it now, with a strong cinematic hook and a stellar lead, plants the flag. It tells the industry and fans exactly what Nagoshi Studio is about. It builds anticipation the old-fashioned way, on concept and creator reputation, not live-service roadmaps. The real test will be when we finally see gameplay. Can it capture the intimate, street-level brawling and storytelling magic that defines Nagoshi’s work? We’ll have to wait and see, but for now, the future of cinematic crime games just got a lot more interesting.
