Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi has confirmed that he's leaving Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku, a studio he helped set up over ten years ago. Nagoshi's departure was revealed in a wider post about a restructure in the Ryu Ga Gotoku's leadership. Long-time series director and producer Daisuke Sato is joining Nagoshi in leaving Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku.
"As of today, a new Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is born where the series will live on," Nagoshi says. "Though I don't know for sure what they will create, I believe the new generation will further enhance the foundation we built over the years and deliver great games to the world. To achieve that, they too need to continue to learn, challenge themselves, and grow. I ask that you continue your support of the studio's endeavours."
Nagoshi joined Sega in 1989 and has worked on other titles such as Sega Rally and Monkey Ball. Nagoshi didn't reveal much about his future plans, though a Bloomberg report from August claims that he's leaving Sega to join NetEase. This is as-yet unconfirmed, though.
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