Ma Dong-seok leads ‘Gang of Dragon’, Nagoshi’s brutal new Tokyo crime epic
Former CCO and General Director of Sega’s Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Toshihiro Nagoshi, has stepped into the spotlight after taking a backseat from the Yakuza series since his departure from Sega in 2021. At the Game Awards 2025, Nagoshi revealed his debut project, Gang of Dragon, minted under Nagoshi Studio and NetEase Games.
The trailer was dropped like a Molotov on the audience at The Game Awards and plunged viewers straight into a grittier depiction of Tokyo’s Red Light District, Kabukicho. Nagoshi, now free from Sega’s corporate ties, is working on a raw video game with a new protagonist who carves his own path in Tokyo’s bloody underworld.
Gang of Dragon’s premiere trailer was all captured in-engine, as confirmed by Geoff Keighley. The protagonist, seen throughout the trailer, is a hulking figure confirmed to be Korean action star Ma Dong-seok, better known internationally as Don Lee, from movies like Train to Busan and Eternals.
Ma Dong-seok plays Shin Ji-seong, a high-ranking enforcer in a Korean crime syndicate with deep ties to Kabukicho's underworld.
Nagoshi started work on Gang of Dragon after striking a deal with NetEase in early 2022. He assembled a team of Yakuza alumni to form Nagoshi Studio. The team consists of director and producer Daisuke Sato, art director Kazuki Hosokawa, lead programmer from Like a Dragon Koji Tokieda, and more.
Fans of the Yakuza series have been quick to point out similarities between Nagoshi’s debut game and RGG’s flagship IP, but Nagoshi has long telegraphed the game’s evolution. Back in 2022, he spoke in an interview about his post-Sega work, calling it “more like a Quentin Tarantino film, so humor may play a role,” along with “something that’s just intimidating or only bloody and brutal.”
From what’s known so far, Gang of Dragon aims to sidestep Yakuza’s core elements like mini-games and over-the-top shenanigans to deliver a tighter cinematic feel.
So far, no platforms have been mentioned except for PC via Steam. Gang of Dragon is yet to lock in on a release window, too, but the game will likely feature more sneak peeks in the coming year.
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