Gang of Dragon studio website disappears without notice as NetEase funding dries up
Overview & Key Takeaways
Nagoshi Studio, founded in 2022 by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, just revealed its debut project at the 2025 Game Awards.
Remember in April, when the Nagoshi Studio YouTube channel disappeared without explanation? Panic ensued—or, at least, mild concern was felt by Yakuza aficionados—because just a month prior to that, NetEase pulled its funding for the studio, leading to the immediate assumption that Gang of Dragon was cooked just a few months after it was revealed. But then the channel just as suddenly reappeared—literally within hours—and sighs of relief were heaved.
Now, though, the situation appears to have gotten significantly worse. The YouTube channel is still there—entirely bereft of content, but extant—but as noticed by Shacknews, the Nagoshi Studio website itself, which the Wayback Machine indicates was alive and kicking as recently as April 24, is gone.
(Image credit: Firefox)
You are not having an error—this is what happens when you try to hit the Nagoshi Studio website.
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Nagoshi Studio was founded in 2022 by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, following his departure from Sega the year prior. The studio's debut project, Gang of Dragon—a very Yakuza-looking experience in which Ma Dong-Seok basically replicates his role in The Outlaws—was revealed at the 2025 Game Awards.
Gang of Dragon World Premiere Trailer from The Game Awards 2025 - YouTube
Just a few months later, though, NetEase announced that it was ending its support of the studio: As part of its broader pullback from external game development (and the fact that Gang of Dragon required at least $44.4 million more in funding before completion), the company said its funding of Nagoshi Studio would end in May, a month that we are now well into. Nagoshi was reportedly looking for new backers for the game, but as of that March report hadn't been able to find anyone else to step in,
Nothing official has been announced at this point, and the Steam page for Gang of Dragon remains up, although as far as I can tell it hasn't been touched since that 2025 reveal. A shutdown isn't a sure thing, then, and there's still hope that Nagoshi Studio and Gang of Dragon will persist—but right now, it's not looking too good. I've reached out to Nagoshi Studio for comment and will update if I receive a reply.
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