Fans Vote on Yakuza Merch: From Cult Clothes to Traffic Cones

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the beloved Yakuza / Like a Dragon series, and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is pulling out all the stops to celebrate. In a unique twist, the studio is letting fans decide what kind of official merchandise they want to see hit the market. From cult clothes to a traffic cone and even golden underwear, the options are as bizarre as the franchise itself.

As reported by Automaton, fans have the chance to vote on a whopping 100 different items. RGG Studio has promised to bring the top two vote-getters to life within the next two years. While the competition is listed in Japanese, fans can still cast their votes on the official website.

The merchandise ranges from the more conventional, like a 20th anniversary celebration hoodie and a Yakuza-themed pencil case, to the downright quirky, reflecting the series' famously wild nature. Some standout items include the cult outfit worn by Munan Suzuki, the leader of The Order of Munan Chohept Onast in Yakuza 0, the giant traffic cone Majima uses to ambush Kiryu in Yakuza Kiwami, and the intriguingly named "Puffy Gold Pants."

Other notable items up for vote include the sake Majima sips in a shack in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the gold watch sported by fan-favorite Akiyama, the fountain pen Kiryu uses to write to Dojima in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, the tambourine Kashiwagi shakes during karaoke in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the wrestling mask donned by Kiryu in Yakuza 3, and Saejima's prisoner uniform from Yakuza 4, among many other eccentric choices.

The celebration continues with the release of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, set to launch on February 21, 2025. RGG Studio previously marked the 10th anniversary with the release of the beloved prequel Yakuza 0, but no similar projects have been announced for later in the year yet.

While the idea of two releases in one year might seem ambitious, RGG Studio is no stranger to rapid development cycles. Over the past five years, they've released Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Judgment Remastered, Lost Judgment, Like a Dragon: Ishin, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, and Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, along with two Super Monkey Ball games and an enhanced remaster of Virtua Fighter 5. That's a total of nine games, showcasing their impressive productivity.