Back in September 2022, the gaming industry woke up, chugged a concerning amount of energy drink, and decided to drop news like it was going out of style. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio turned Yakuza fans into puddles of joy by revealing two new games, EA announced that The Sims 4 would become free-to-play, Square Enix finally dated Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, and Microsoft veteran David Berger announced he was leaving Halo developer 343 Industries. It was a lot. Fast forward to 2026, and those headlines have grown up, moved out, and in some cases, gotten a haircut. Here is how that wild day looks now.
Like a Dragon 8: The Haircut That Launched a Thousand Memes
The biggest bombshell from Ryu Ga Gotoku was a brief look at Like a Dragon 8, which confirmed that Kiryu was not only alive but playable, older, and sporting a fancy new haircut. Fans, bless their hearts, immediately went feral. Theories sprouted like weeds. Was the haircut a symbol of rebirth? A midlife crisis? A silent apology for all the pocket circuit racing? The teaser also promised a 2024 launch, which felt like a century away at the time.
By 2026, that wait is a distant memory. Like a Dragon 8 launched as Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth in January 2024, and it delivered a massive dual-protagonist story featuring Ichiban Kasuga and Kiryu. The game was praised for its emotional weight, its absurd side content, and its willingness to let a man in his fifties sing karaoke with the intensity of an opera star. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has not slowed down either. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii sailed into stores in February 2025, proving that this series will never, ever run out of ideas. Or pirates. Or both.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Before fans could even process the Like a Dragon 8 news, Ryu Ga Gotoku dropped another announcement: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, a spinoff scheduled for 2023. It was described as roughly half the size of a mainline Yakuza game, with traditional Yakuza combat, and it would fill in the gap between the end of Yakuza 6 and the beginning of Like a Dragon 8. In other words, it was the appetizer before the main course, and it starred a man who had supposedly erased his own name. Very subtle. Very Kiryu.
The game launched in November 2023, and it gave fans exactly what they wanted: crisp beat-'em-up action, a tighter scope, and a story that made grown adults stare at a wall for twenty minutes. It also answered the burning question of what Kiryu was doing during the events of Like a Dragon. The answer, as always, involved punching people and looking melancholy. In 2026, Gaiden stands as a perfect snack-sized entry for anyone who wants to understand Kiryu's journey without committing to a hundred-hour epic.
The Sims 4 Goes Free-to-Play: EA Opens the Floodgates
EA, not to be outdone, announced that the base version of The Sims 4 would become free-to-play on October 18, 2022, across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. New players could jump in without spending a dime, while existing owners received a care package with new furniture and a free copy of the Get To Work expansion if they did not already own it. The Sims 4, a game that had been charging rent for years, finally decided to stop charging rent. Poetic.
By 2026, The Sims 4 has been free for so long that newer players might not believe it once cost money. The game remains a live-service juggernaut, with expansion packs, kits, and updates continuing to arrive. EA's mysterious Project Rene is still in development, though the company has been careful to describe it as a new platform rather than a direct Sims 5. Whether it will launch before the heat death of the universe remains an open question. For now, Sims fans can still build a house, delete the ladder, and call it art.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Finally Gets a Date
Square Enix also showed up to the party, finally giving Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion a concrete release date of December 13, 2022. The game had been announced in June with a vague Winter 2022 window, so fans had been left to speculate, refresh store pages, and stare at calendars like detectives. The remaster/remake of the PSP classic promised updated visuals, revamped combat, and a fresh chance to cry over Zack Fair's story all over again.
In 2026, Crisis Core Reunion is widely available on modern platforms, and it remains a beloved companion piece to Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth. It did not reinvent the wheel, but it polished the wheel, gave it a new coat of paint, and made sure the wheel could hit you in the feelings at 60 frames per second. Zack Fair deserved that. So did the fans.
Halo Shake-Up: David Berger Leaves 343 Industries
Finally, some bad news for Halo Infinite fans. Microsoft veteran David Berger announced he was leaving 343 Industries, making him the second high-profile developer to depart the studio in a week. Berger did not explain his reasons, but he said it had been an honor to serve alongside the team for the last 15 years. That is a long time to wrangle Master Chief, especially when the fanbase is watching every move like a hawk with a Twitter account.
By 2026, the Halo franchise has undergone even bigger changes. In October 2024, 343 Industries rebranded as Halo Studios, and the team announced that future Halo games would be built in Unreal Engine 5. It was a clear signal that the studio was ready to move on from the Slipspace Engine and, perhaps, from some of the turbulence that defined the Halo Infinite era. Halo fans, bless their hearts, are still waiting for the next big thing. They are very patient. They have to be.
So, Where Are They Now?
That September day in 2022 was a buffet. Yakuza fans got a feast, Sims fans got free entry, Final Fantasy fans got a date, and Halo fans got a headache. In 2026, every one of those stories has evolved. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth came and went, Gaiden filled in the blanks, The Sims 4 kept being free, Crisis Core Reunion kept being available, and Halo Studios kept rebuilding. The more things change, the more they stay the same. And the more Ryu Ga Gotoku announces, the more fans prepare to lose their minds all over again.
...Anyway, someone should check on the Yakuza fandom. They are probably still screaming.