Aloha to “Treasure a Dragon”: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Now Offers Contemporary Sport Plus for Free Following Fan Backlash Against DLC Locking

Treasure a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will let you restart your journey in New Game Plus mode with a complimentary update coming sometime post-launch. It appears that the criticism regarding Infinite Wealth restricting this mode to paid DLC resonated with publisher Sega and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.

“We’re thrilled to announce that New Game Plus will be released for free as an update after launch,” the developers shared in a new Treasure a Dragon presentation revealing details about Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. “Stay tuned for further announcements regarding the exact timing and features of this release.”

New Game Plus mode has been a long-standing feature of the Yakuza series, and now Treasure a Dragon as well, but in Infinite Wealth, access to this mode was restricted to the deluxe edition or a $20 DLC. While Infinite Wealth was largely well-received by players, the decision to include New Game Plus as part of the DLC was heavily criticized.

The New Game Plus DLC has garnered 93% negative reviews on Steam, and one notable critic was voice actor Yong Yea, who expressed on social media that New Game Plus “should be a basic feature or a complimentary update for any game that offers it.” Clearly, this sentiment has reached the developers.

The remainder of the Treasure a Dragon presentation focused on showcasing the gameplay elements, and indeed, it appears to share a significant resemblance to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag in its naval combat aspects. The ship battles seem incredibly engaging here, as you can upgrade your cannons to laser beams and rocket launchers. It’s shaping up to be an exhilarating experience.

Treasure a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is set to be released on February 21, 2025, on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

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