Nagoshi Studio Website Shut Down and YouTube Channel Deleted Following NetEase Funding Withdrawal for the Crime Action Project Gang of Dragon
Nagoshi Studio's digital footprint has been scrubbed from the internet. In late April, industry insiders pointed out that the firm's official website has been shut down and the domain has not been working since. This is the last in a series of unfortunate circumstances that has befallen Toshihiro Nagoshi's team, ever since he left Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio in 2021. No official statement has been released about the studio's sudden removal of its main public interface by the studio themselves.
The studio's instability became public after a Bloomberg report in March; stating the parent company, NetEase, decided to pull funding from their upcoming crime action title, Gang of Dragon. This project starring actor, Ma Dong seok had faced quite the financial hurdle and the studio needed 7,000,000,000 yen (equivalent to $44,400,000) to fund the entirety of its production.
Shortly after the article was published by Bloomberg, Nagoshi Studio had deleted their official YouTube channel without warning. Following the video archive's deletion by the studio, their website was also shut down completely; forcing the gaming community to conclude that the project was dead. It is theorized that after four years, all that has been produced by the studio, has resulted in no product that would reach the market.
The studio's potential closing has caused widespread discussion within fans of the Yakuza and Like a Dragon series, among who, some believe that the producer himself may have mishandled his resources while working separately from his original studio, while others have suggested that NetEase's abrupt departure from the funding of the studio's project resembles more of an act of corporate sabotage rather than failed production. Historically, Toshihiro Nagoshi has demonstrated a particular knack for finishing projects well under budget which only makes the $44,400,000 lack of funds surprising. After the shutting down of the studio's website, there appears to be little hope for the development of Ma Dong seok's crime action feature at Nagoshi Studio.
