Like a Dragon 8: Infinite Wealthmay break a series tradition and bring Ichiban to America for his second adventure. The newest teaser for the game drops some pretty strong hints that Ichiban’s going to end up somewhere new, and that place could be all the way across the ocean. While nothing has been confirmed forLike a Dragon 8yet, there are enough scraps to work with that the idea can be considered a serious possibility. If that is the case, then it opens the door for a game that could be very different from pastLike a Dragoninstallments.
Existing since 2005, therecently renamedLike a Dragonfranchisehas always been set in Japan. Even spin-off games likeJudgmentandLike a Dragon: Ishin!have remained in the country. Considering that the main series has established Kamurocho as Kiryu’s iconic hometown, that probably shouldn’t be surprising. If the next installment is set in another country, then it could have several repercussions for the game aside from a mere change of setting. If Ichiban goes overseas, there will be a lot of other questions that would need to be answered as well, including some very prominent queries raised by the trailer itself.

RELATED:When Does Like a Dragon Gaiden Take Place on the Timeline
Like a Dragon 8’s Teaser Implies it May Take Ichiban Kasuga to America
At the Xbox Summer Showcase, a teaser for thein-developmentLike a Dragon 8featured Ichiban waking up naked on a beach, with several foreground objects comically censoring him. During this sequence, the people that react to Ichiban’s predicament are all speaking English.
However, Ichiban himself is speaking Japanese, and it takes him a while to pick up on what is going on until the end of the teaser. Since Ichiban doesn’t seem to understand the others and vice versa, it’s highly possible that Ichiban isn’t in Japan at all, but ended up on the beach somewhere in America or another English-speaking country, explaining the language barrier between them.
Of course, this trailer isn’t a guarantee thatLike a Dragon 8will visit new citiesoverseas. It’s possible that Ichiban could have washed up on a beach in an area like Osaka or Okinawa while there just happened to be a lot of tourists around. That would explain why there were so many people speaking English, at the very least. If that is the case, then the next game will probably see Ichiban back to more familiar pastures relatively quickly. In addition, for Ichiban to wash up randomly on a beach, it would make sense if he wasn’t too far from home unless something major took place.
If Ichiban does end up in America forLike a Dragon’s biggest game yet, then there are a few questions that would need to be asked. First, Ichiban and Kiryu have already been promoted as the leads of the game, which may be difficult if Ichiban is in the United States during the game’s events. In addition, the reason why Ichiban ended up in America would need to be well-explained, since it would likely be an important point for the plot to hinge on.
While Ichiban may find himself in America for the next game, fans will need to hearmore information aboutLike a Dragon 8before the plot comes into focus. Granted, going to America would offer a lot of new ideas in terms of side activities and NPCs. At the same time, it may make it harder for Ichiban to take part in some series mainstays like UFO Catchers and Mahjong, due to them being far less prominent in America than in Japan. WhetherLike a Dragon 8: Infinite Wealthsends Ichiban to America or not, he’s sure to make the adventure entertaining.
Like a Dragon 8: Infinite Wealthwill be released in 2024 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a Perfect Return to Form for the Series