Nagoshi Studio loses NetEase funding three months after Game Awards reveal

Three months after Nagoshi Studio premiered a trailer for Gang of Dragon at The Game Awards 2025, Bloomberg reported that NetEase ended its funding for the studio in May. Nagoshi Studio was founded by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi in 2021 following a 32-year run at Sega.

The project was unveiled with a brief CGI clip featuring Ma Dong-Seok, and the game's Steam page offers only a general description: the actor plays a high-ranking member of a Korean crime syndicate who becomes entangled in underworld conflicts, with third-person combat that includes hand-to-hand strikes, blade attacks, gunplay, and vehicle action.

Bloomberg says NetEase concluded the project would need at least $44.4 million more to finish and pulled funding after the assessment. Nagoshi Studio has been looking for a partner to fill the gap but has not yet secured one; NetEase is reportedly willing to let the studio continue work only if it buys out the assets or brand.

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