When does Like a Dragon Gaiden take place in the Yakuza timeline

Like a Dragon Gaiden is an interstitial entry in the Yakuza / Like a Dragon series. And because of that, some may be wondering when exactly it happens, and where it places Gaiden on the overall timeline.

While the game’s events make these details pretty well-known, with a few key moments lining up directly with other games, it gets a bit wobbly in other sections. Here’s where, exactly, Like a Dragon Gaiden falls in the great timeline RGG Studio has built for its franchise.

Note: Spoilers for some preceding entries, including Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, follow.

Like a Dragon Gaiden largely takes place during Yakuza: Like a Dragon

The events of Like a Dragon Gaiden are set between the ending of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. This means most of Like a Dragon Gaiden is happening at the same timeline point as Yakuza: Like a Dragon, with a few story beats and plot threads overlapping. (For the record, this means it mostly takes place in this fictional Earth’s year of 2019.)

The story picks up almost immediately from Yakuza 6, with Kiryu—who we now know did not die at the end of The Song of Life—entering a life of seclusion and solitude, to protect his loved ones. Events start to pick up, eventually leading Kiryu (or “Joryu”) to head to Sotenbori and other locales.

This means that, at several points, Kiryu’s path will veer close to Kasuga Ichiban’s journey in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Without giving it away, there are even some playful nods towards this, as the two protagonists’ paths dance around each other.

By story’s end, you’ll also get some additional beats, teasing how Kazuma Kiryu eventually winds up in Ichiban’s path once again for the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Yes, there are cameos

As you might know from playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon, those paths will eventually converge. The how and why are pretty fun, so I’ll leave that for you to discover.

Outside the overlap of those two games, however, there many more references and cameos. As I wrote in our review, Like a Dragon Gaiden is a game for the long-time series fans, so those with a lot of history will likely enjoy.