Like A Dragon fans are mourning the loss of the iconic Yakuza font, as new Like A Dragon gameplay footage shows Kazuma Kiryu in a fight in Like A Dragon Gaiden. The Edo SZ font, a staple of the beloved series, is nowhere to be seen, as Kiryu and his new protégé, Tamana, brawl in a style similar to the earlier games in the series.
Loss of the Iconic Yakuza Font
In a preview by IGN, we see Kiryu and Tamana starting a fight in Like A Dragon Gaiden, which takes place in the Edo period. But whereas the Yakuza games always feature the unique font, in Like A Dragon it is nowhere to be seen.
It wasn’t just a unique feature of the Yakuza games, the Edo SZ font became a meme and was widely recognized, particularly by the Yakuza fanbase. So the decision to change it seems deliberate, and might tie into Kiryu’s new persona in the spin-off.
“I actually never thought I’d see the day where I’d say this, but I’m actually quite sad about this,” one fan comments on the Yakuza subreddit, where the change has been discussed. “I sincerely hope this is a one-time thing and they’ll bring it back to the series it actually belongs to.”
We’ve yet to see gameplay footage of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, so the decision to remove the Yakuza font could be something we won’t see in the final game. But the decision seems quite deliberate, so it seems unlikely it was a last minute change.
I sincerely hope this is a one-time thing and they’ll bring it back to the series it actually belongs to.
At the very least, we hope the iconic font returns to the series it belongs to, and that Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth doesn’t follow the example of Yakuza 6 and change the series’ overall aesthetic.
In the meantime, you can check out everything we know about Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth so far, as well as our guide to the Yakuza 6 ending, which features a major bombshell for Kiryu.
