Yakuza Fans Vote on Unique Official Merch: Cult Clothes, Traffic Cones, and More

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 move, the developer is letting fans decide what official merchandise should be produced next. The options range from the practical to the downright bizarre, including cult clothes, a traffic cone, and even golden underwear.

As reported by Automaton, fans have a whopping 100 different items to choose from, with RGG Studio promising to put the top two vote-getters on sale within the next two years. While the voting is only listed in Japanese, international fans can still participate by submitting their votes on the official website.

The merchandise list includes more conventional items like a 20th anniversary celebration hoodie and a Yakuza-themed pencil case. However, true to the franchise's wild nature, many of the options are pulled straight from its eccentric history, making them even more intriguing in the real world.

Among the quirky choices are the cult outfit worn by Munan Suzuki, the leader of The Order of Munan Chohept Onast in Yakuza 0, the oversized traffic cone Majima uses to surprise Kiryu in Yakuza Kiwami, and the intriguingly named "Puffy Gold Pants." Other items up for vote include the sake Majima drinks in a shack in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Akiyama's gold watch, the fountain pen Kiryu uses to write to Dojima in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Kashiwagi's tambourine from his karaoke performance in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Kiryu's wrestling mask from Yakuza 3, Saejima's prisoner uniform from Yakuza 4, and many more peculiar items.

In addition to this fan-driven merch initiative, the franchise will see a new entry in its 20th anniversary year, with Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii set to release on February 21, 2025. RGG Studio previously celebrated the 10th anniversary with the much-loved prequel Yakuza 0, but no similar projects have been announced for later in the year.

While the idea of two releases in one year might seem ambitious, RGG Studio has a track record of rapid development. Over the past five years, the studio has released Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Judgment Remastered, Lost Judgment, Like a Dragon: Ishin, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, two Super Monkey Ball games, and an enhanced remaster of Virtua Fighter 5, totaling nine games.