Judgment, the upcoming courtroom thriller from the makers of the Yakuza series, ran into some legal troubles of its own last week when actor Pierre Taki was arrested on drug charges. Despite the fact that Taki plays a merciless Yakuza boss in the game, Sega halted sales of the game in Japan and decided to reevaluate the game’s Western launch. To Western eyes, this may seem like a bit of an overreaction, but Japan has a very stringent anti-drug culture and accompanying laws. Celebs don’t just go to rehab and bounce back after a drug bust there.
Well, thankfully, it seems Judgment is still getting a Western release. Sega will be removing Pierre Taki’s Japanese voice work from the game, and altering his character’s model to no longer resemble him. Sega announced these changes on Twitter.
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Due to unforeseen circumstances, the character model and Japanese voice for the character of Kyohei Hamura will be adjusted for the Western release of Judgment, launching on June 25, 2019.
— SEGA (@SEGA) March 22, 2019
Screenshots and trailers featuring Hamura have been temporarily removed from all of SEGA’s official channels. Updated versions of these materials will be made available at a later date.
— SEGA (@SEGA) March 22, 2019
Again, rather odd that a guy playing a criminal and drug dealer got removed from a game for actually doing drugs, but I’m just glad the game hasn’t been cancelled. Haven’t been keeping up with Judgment? Here’s the game’s official description:
From the makers of the Yakuza series, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Judgment is the dramatic tale of a disgraced lawyer seeking redemption in a world rife with corruption and despair. Investigate the seedy Red Light District of Kamurocho by stepping into the mind of private detective Takayuki Yagami and utilize innovative investigation systems to uncover the secrets that lie deep within Kamurocho’s corrupt underbelly.
Experience visceral combat with two unique combat styles. Take down groups of thugs with sweeping blows in Crane Style, then switch to Tiger to overwhelm a single foe with a series of powerful strikes. Practice mixing-and-matching styles in combat in conjunction with a wide variety of skills, weapons, and powerful (and hilarious) EX Actions to unlock a whole new dimension in combat. Judgment marks the first time in over 12 years that a game set in the Yakuza series universe has received an English dub for its Western release, with a star-studded English voice cast bringing Judgment to life.
The removal of Pierre Taki won’t change Judgement’s Western release date – the game still hits PS4 on June 25. Will you be picking up the game?
