The concept for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is already pretty buck wild, even for a spin-off. According to Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio director Masayoshi Yokoyama, the result could have been even stranger: For a while, he wanted to make a fishing game called like a Dragon: Tuna.

In an interview with the PlayStation Blog (via PCGamer), Yokoyama shared details about another potential idea for a spin-off. Brainstorming began around mid-2023, months prior to the release of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on January 25, 2024. Before the team decided to have Goro Majima go on a pirate adventure, the plan was to feature Kazuma Kiryu as a tuna fisherman, who would set off to sea to fight against fishing boats.