It seems like Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is gearing up for a very busy 2025. Fans of the Like a Dragon series have a lot to look forward to as Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza ventures to Hawaii, following on from Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. However, the surprises didn’t stop there. At The Game Awards 2024, the studio also revealed two exciting new titles: a fresh take on Virtua Fighter and the mysterious Project Century. For fans of the Like a Dragon saga, Project Century is creating quite a buzz because it seems to nod toward the series’ original action-packed brawler legacy. This new entry might even become a pivotal chapter for the entire franchise.
Although the details are under wraps, fans are curious if Project Century links back to the Like a Dragon universe or represents a brand-new independent storyline. The brief trailer at TGA left much to the imagination but did drop a tantalizing hint about the 1915 Japan setting. Die-hard fans of the series might pick up on the significance of this era, hinting at Project Century’s potential connection within the series’ rich lore.
Project Century’s 1915 setting hints at a fascinating timeline. In the world of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, we know from Omi Alliance Captain Masaru Watase that the Alliance celebrated over a century of existence as of the 2019 game timeline. This places the founding of the Omi Alliance squarely in 1915. Fans of the series know the series has yet to delve into any period earlier than 1988, with Yakuza 0 marking the current beginning of the timeline. This means we have yet to witness the origins of these prominent fictional yakuza organizations. The founding moments of groups like the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance have largely remained a mystery, thus leaving a rich untold story waiting to be explored.
While fans have witnessed the leadership sagas within the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance, their birthing stories haven’t yet been unearthed. With Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio expanding the universe through several spinoffs like Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, along with the Judgment spinoffs, a historical dive into the genesis of these clans seems like an ideal and logical next move.
The alignment of Project Century’s 1915 backdrop with the founding era of the Omi Alliance hints at a deliberate connection. It paves a path for depicting the inception of both the Omi Alliance and possibly the Tojo Clan as these once-chaotic elements coalesce into structured factions. Such a storyline would provide a fitting prelude to the saga after the significant shake-up seen in Yakuza: Like a Dragon where those clans faced disbandment. This reveals a raw period when disordered criminals could have coalesced into unified clans, mirroring the brutality hinted at in Project Century’s trailer.
Drawing inspiration from real-world parallels, it’s noteworthy that Japan’s largest yakuza group, the Yamaguchi-gumi, was also founded in 1915. This historical tie-in could very well influence Project Century, positioning it as an exploration into the origins of these fictional factions.
As for who will lead players through this untold story in Project Century, speculation is rife. The trailer doesn’t reveal who the protagonist is, leaving fans to wonder if he might be none other than Makoto Tojo, the first leader of the Tojo Clan, or maybe the nameless individual who initiated the Omi Alliance. Alternatively, he could be someone removed from their founding, offering yet another unique perspective of these storied beginnings.
In either case, the year 1915 resonates significantly with the origins of both real-world and game-world yakuza guilds. Project Century is shaping up to be a possible origin tale for these groups, promising to enrich the Like a Dragon universe with roots deeply entrenched in its fictional and historical underpinnings.
