This morning, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and SEGA have announced that a free Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties demo will be released later today on all platforms, albeit at different times. The PC version will get it first, at 7 AM Pacific Time, while the console versions for Sony's PlayStation 5, Microsoft's Xbox Series S and X, and Nintendo Switch 2 will be available for download at 9 PM Pacific Time.
Unlike other recent demos, users won't be able to carry over their save data to the full game, so it's really just a way to try the game before purchase. RGG Studio and SEGA have also outlined which sections have been prepared for the demo:
- In Yakuza Kiwami 3, players can explore Ryukyu in Okinawa as Kazuma Kiryu, beating down bad guys and dynamically switching between the brutal Dragon of Dojima: Kiwami style and the weapon-based Ryukyu style. Players can also indulge in immersive side experiences such as karaoke, sub-stories, and outfit customisation.
- In Dark Ties, players can enjoy an all-new story featuring Yoshitaka Mine and explore Kamurocho, experiencing a variety of activities while also mastering Mine's shoot-boxing combat to stylishly dispose of foes.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties was announced at the RGG Summit 2025 in September. According to the developers, this is an 'extreme' remake of the third mainline installment in the series, which originally launched in 2009 for PlayStation 3 and later appeared on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Additionally, there's new content in the form of Dark Ties, which is centered on Yoshitaka Mine. Narratively, it is a prequel in which Mine willingly plunges into the dark world of the Yakuza after losing everything. Driven by the pursuit to find true bonds, he embarks on a dramatic journey coloured by exhilarating boxing-based combat and a variety of side experiences.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties will be released on February 12, 2026 for all the aforementioned platforms. Pre-orders are already available, too, and pre-order customers will receive the bonus item Legendary Lad: Ichiban Kasuga that adds the fan-favorite character Ichiban Kasuga (protagonist of the more recent Like a Dragon games) to the Ryukyu Gal Gang.
As part of the demo news, the Steam store page was also updated with the official PC system requirements, which we've added below.
| Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Specifications | MINIMUM | RECOMMENDED |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 | Windows 11 |
| Processor | Intel Core i3-8100, 3.6 GHz or AMD Ryzen 3 2300X, 3.5 GHz | Intel Core i5-8700K, 3.7 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, 3.6 GHz |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX1650, 4GB or AMD Radeon RX6400, 4GB or Intel Arc A380, 6GB | NVIDIA GeForce RTX3060, 12GB or AMD Radeon RX 7600, 8GB or Intel Arc A770, 8GB |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| Storage | 58 GB available space | 58 GB available space |
| Sound Card | Windows Compatible Audio Device | Windows Compatible Audio Device |
| Additional Notes | Low 1080p@30FPS w/Balanced FSR1.0, requires a CPU with supports the AVX and SSE4.2 instruction set | High 1080p@60FPS w/o FSR, requires a CPU with supports the AVX and SSE4.2 instruction set |
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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