The simmering hype surrounding the upcomingYakuza 8reached a boiling point recently due to an unanticipated but very welcome burst of information surrounding the otherwise mysterious title. With the new information, the core cast of characters set to feature within the latest title were confirmed, allowing fans to speculate as to other pertinent details of the game with a bit more clarity and validity.
Mikuru Asakura was the source behind the recent reveal, and Asakura is set to feature within the upcomingYakuzagame. Due to how much of a direct impact Asakura has had by providing fans with such important information, many will understandably want to know more about him and the role he will likely play inYakuza 8.
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Who Is Yakuza 8’s Mikuru Asakura
Mikuru Asakura is a real, accomplished mixed martial artist, who competes within the Japanese Rizin Fighting Federation at the featherweight level. Winning several weight-class championship titles over the course of his short but successful career, Asakura is one of Japan’s most well-known MMA fighters. To conceptualize how regarded Asakura is within the fighting world, he is set to fight theworld-renowned Floyd Mayweatherin an exhibition boxing match this September.
What Mikuru Asakura Revealed About Yakuza 8
As a part of his involvement as a character withinYakuza 8, Mikuru Asakura was invited to the headquarters of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the Sega-owned development studio responsible for all theYakuzagames. While filming a behind the scenes video of his experience at Ryu Ga Gotoku for his YouTube channel, Mikuru captureddevelopment images ofYakuza 8, which revealed a lot of information about the upcoming title.
The captured footage showed parts of a cutscene involvingreturningLike a Dragonprotagonist Ichiban Kasuga, as well as fellow characters Koichi Adachi and Yu Nanba. This footage essentially confirms thatYakuza 8will be a direct sequel to the well-receivedLike a Dragon, continuing the story of Ichiban even further. In the footage, Ichiban is seen without his wild trademark hairstyle, instead sporting a pulled-back “man-bun.” While it is unknown whether the newYakuzawill maintainLike a Dragon’sambitious turn-based combat, the confirmation of its cast is huge news nonetheless.
The Role That Mikuru Asakura Will Likely Play in Yakuza 8
It is not unusual for theYakuzagames to feature real-life figures playing themselves, with real-life fighters being a growing staple ofYakuzacameos. It is possible that Mikuru Asakura will appear within the game as himself, fighting and befriending the player in trueYakuzafashion.
For example, the “In Pursuit of Pleasure"substory forYakuza Kiwamifeatured real-life Japanese judo gold medallist Shinichi Shinohara, andYakuza 6’sClan Creator featured high-profile Japanese ex-wrestlers in antagonist roles. Many of the hostesses that appear throughout the franchise are also comprised of real-world actresses, with many fan-favorite aspects of theYakuzaformula being made possible by these kinds of cameos. While the extent of Mikuru Asakura’s role withinYakuza 8is of course still up to speculation, any appearance from a fighter as famous and successful as Asakura is likely to be a memorable one.
Yakuza 8is currently in development.
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