It seems like fans of the cult-classic Shenmue series will have to wait a while to see the next installment. During a special event that was celebrating the Shenmue franchise, the creator of the series, Yu Suzuki, mentioned that there are no solid plans for Shenmue IV just yet.
Eager Shenmue fans believed that something was brewing due to some mysterious teases from 110 Industries late last year and Suzuki’s appearance at the publisher’s Tokyo Game Show presentation. The company later shared an image of an upcoming action game called Wanted: Dead and responded to fan comments that suggested that the publisher should team up with Suzuki for a new Shenmue game.
Speaking to IGN Japan, Suzuki also said that he has a vision for the hypothetical next Shenmue game and that he would like it to be more approachable for new players. Back in 2020, Suzuki believed that a future game in the series will happen. He said, “With Shenmue 3 I created a game for the fans, but if I have the opportunity to make Shenmue 4 – and I think I will – I know how to satisfy casual users, so I want to make a game that everyone can be satisfied with.”
What is going on with the Shenmue franchise?
Shenmue 3 was a long-awaited addition to the series that fans of the series had given up hope of ever seeing. There was an 18-year gap between the releases of Shenmue 2 and Shenmue 3. And it took a combination of a Kickstarter and the backing of Sony to fund the third game. However, that may not be the case for the next game. If Suzuki can secure a deal with 110 Industries, then things will look brighter for the future of Shenmue. And, hopefully, the wait for the next game won’t be as long.
Thankfully, Shenmue fans haven’t been left completely in the dry recently. Shenmue The Animation has largely lived up to its potential as an adaption of the first game.
