Despite its success as a spin-off of the ongoing Yakuza game franchise, the future for the Judgment series has been a question mark for a while now. However, despite concerns regarding the lead character's actor potentially severing ties with the game studio, it seems that there may be a future for Yagami after all.

Judgment most recently saw the release of its second game, Lost Judgment, in 2021. The gritty crime investigation thriller was widely praised as a follow-up to the first iteration of the series, but the game hadn't even launched yet when rumors swirled regarding the actor who provided Yagami's voice and likeness exiting the series.

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Although there's been no official confirmation either way regarding whether players will see a third Judgment game, it seems that the franchise is set to continue in a new format. According to a report initially made by Japanese publication Nikkan Gendai and brought to light by Kotaku, TV Asahi is preparing to produce a television live action series based on the Judgment franchise. In said series, actor Takuya Kimura is said to be reprising his role as private investigator Takayuki Yagami.

Fighting enemies in Lost Judgment

The live action take doesn't have an official title yet, but is being referred to as 'Sabakarezaru,' which can be translated as 'Unjudged.' It's worth noting that this term as part of the original Japanese subtitle for Lost Judgment, though it was removed for the western release. Another source has reportedly claimed that a film may also be in the works, though it's unclear if it will be a made-for-TV movie or feature film. In any case, it wouldn't be the first time the Yakuza franchise has been adapted into live action.

This news comes in the midst of a bit of a drought of updates from Yakuza and Judgment series developer Ryu Ga Gotoku studio. Fans are currently waiting to hear more about Yakuza: Like a Dragon's sequel, which has been officially announced by the studio. However, Lost Judgment fans are also awaiting the release of the Kaito DLC, which is set for a rough Spring 2022 release. Unfortunately, no significant teasers or an official release date for the DLC have been revealed yet.

It's an interesting development considering the question of Judgment's future as a game series. Prior reports indicated that Kimura's agency and RGG/Sega couldn't come to an agreement on releasing Lost Judgment on PC. If true, it's likely a sticking point for Sega, as the recent success of Yakuza on PC can't be understated. However, if the TV series turns out to be a reality, it would seem to indicate that the actor and his agency are still amicable to working on the franchise, even if it's not in video game form anymore.

Lost Judgment is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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Source: Kotaku