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CultureQuiet 9d · day 12

Nagoshi Studio, maker of unreleased Gang of Dragon, officially dissolved

Toshiro Nagoshi's NetEase-backed studio folded via shareholder vote after funding was pulled earlier in 2026, leaving its Ma Dong-seok-fronted game unfinished.

newest coverage 9d agosummary written 9d ago45 pieces MastodonGoogle NewsRedditNewswires

What to know

  • Nagoshi Studio, founded in 2021 by Yakuza creator Toshiro Nagoshi with NetEase Games funding, was dissolved by shareholder resolution on October 31, 2026.
  • Its only announced game, GANG OF DRAGON starring Ma Dong-seok, never shipped after NetEase cut funding earlier in 2026 and the project's promotional material was pulled offline.
  • The reason NetEase withdrew funding has not been officially disclosed; the studio's six-month attempt to find a path to independence failed.
  • Whatever work was done on GANG OF DRAGON is presumed scrapped, closing the book on a project revealed to strong fan interest less than a year earlier.
some voices

Fans are disappointed to lose a game they were anticipating.

  • “A damn shame. I was actually looking forward to Gang of dragon. I wanted to play as that unit of a middle age man which is quite rare these days.”

    DaymD · r/gaming (Reddit) ↗
some voices

Both Nagoshi and NetEase share blame for mismanaging the studio and funding from the start.

  • “Trying to get a blank check from china, after releasing Yakuza games which are the kings of reused assets just to get cut off is so ironic. For all people involved. I just think no one there was honest from the beginning. Not nagoahi, not…”

    whattheshitho · r/gaming (Reddit) ↗

Toshiro Nagoshi Founder, Nagoshi Studio; Yakuza series creatorNetEase Games Financial backer of Nagoshi StudioMa Dong-seok (Don Lee) Lead actor for GANG OF DRAGON

Nagoshi Studio, maker of unreleased Gang of Dragon, officially dissolved
thegamer.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments

Peak 9 pieces in 3h at Nov 2, 1 AM; 45 pieces over 12 days (30 articles · 5 posts · 10 comments) Oct 31, 2 AM — 7 pieces · 7 articles — Google News 7Oct 31, 5 AM — quietOct 31, 8 AM — quietOct 31, 11 AM — quietOct 31, 2 PM — quietOct 31, 5 PM — quietOct 31, 8 PM — quietOct 31, 11 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 4 AM — quietNov 1, 7 AM — quietNov 1, 10 AM — quietNov 1, 1 PM — quietNov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 7 PM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Google News 2, Mastodon 1Nov 1, 10 PM — 6 pieces · 3 articles · 1 post · 2 comments — Reddit 3, Google News 3Nov 2, 1 AM — 9 pieces · 5 articles · 2 posts · 2 comments — Google News 4, Mastodon 2, Reddit 2, +1 moreNov 2, 4 AM — 8 pieces · 7 articles · 1 post — Google News 6, Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Nov 2, 7 AM — 5 pieces · 3 articles · 2 comments — Google News 3, Reddit 2Nov 2, 10 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Newswires 2Nov 2, 1 PM — 3 pieces · 1 article · 2 comments — Reddit 2, Newswires 1Nov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 7 PM — 2 pieces · 2 comments — Reddit 2Nov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 1 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 7 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 1 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 7 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 1 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 7 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 1 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 7 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 1 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 7 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 1 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 7 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 1 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 7 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 1 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 7 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietNov 7, 1 AM — quietNov 7, 4 AM — quietNov 7, 7 AM — quietNov 7, 10 AM — quietNov 7, 1 PM — quietNov 7, 4 PM — quietNov 7, 7 PM — quietNov 7, 10 PM — quietNov 8, 1 AM — quietNov 8, 4 AM — quietNov 8, 7 AM — quietNov 8, 10 AM — quietNov 8, 1 PM — quietNov 8, 4 PM — quietNov 8, 7 PM — quietNov 8, 10 PM — quietNov 9, 1 AM — quietNov 9, 4 AM — quietNov 9, 7 AM — quietNov 9, 10 AM — quietNov 9, 1 PM — quietNov 9, 4 PM — quietNov 9, 7 PM — quietNov 9, 10 PM — quietNov 10, 1 AM — quietNov 10, 4 AM — quietNov 10, 7 AM — quietNov 10, 10 AM — quietNov 10, 1 PM — quietNov 10, 4 PM — quietNov 10, 7 PM — quietNov 10, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quiet 12
Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6Nov 7Nov 8Nov 9Nov 10now · 12:28 AM ET
  1. 2

    Gaming press and fans react to the closure

    Outlets including IGN, TheGamer, Insider Gaming and AUTOMATON report the dissolution; on Reddit, fans mourn the loss of GANG OF DRAGON while some question the honesty of both Nagoshi and NetEase.

    “Trying to get a blank check from china, after releasing Yakuza games which are the kings of reused assets just to get cut off is so ironic.”
    — u/whattheshitho
    1. 10 outlets Nagoshi Studio Officially Shuts Down, Leaving Gang of Dragon’s Future Uncertain

      first by Beebom, 9d ago · also OpenCritic, IGN, IGN Pakistan, Insider Gaming, Anime News Network, Game Informer +3

      8 more headlines

    • It was YOU who made it personal by claiming I’m on a personal vendetta against Kojima. The guy had fallouts with Konami and Sony over financial matters, risking people’s jobs TWICE and booted David Hayter from a role just for Kojima getting to meet Keifer Sutherland. Sutherlands work on MGS5 took roughly a year and all what came around was 6min of…

      ValeLemnearr/gaming9d agoview on r/gaming ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 10 posts in this stretch

    • Kojima is absolutely an insufferably pretentious auteur, and auteurs are only known for their distinction if their personal sense of style is legitimately effective rather than pointlessly obfuscating. His last two titles unarguably underperformed both critically and financially, especially when considering the completely unwarranted titanic…

      rendarr/gaming9d agoview on r/gaming ↗

    • Trying to get a blank check from china, after releasing Yakuza games which are the kings of reused assets just to get cut off is so ironic. For all people involved. I just think no one there was honest from the beginning. Not nagoahi, not netease

      whattheshithor/gaming9d agoview on r/gaming ↗
    all of them →
  2. 1 day quiet
  3. 1

    Nagoshi Studio is formally dissolved by shareholder vote

    A notice in Japan's official gazette Kanpo confirms Nagoshi Studio was dissolved by shareholders' resolution on October 31, 2026, ending hopes it could continue independently.

    “Nagoshi Studio, the Shinjuku, Tokyo-based founded by Yakuza series creator Toshiro Nagoshi under NetEase Games in November 2021, was officially dissolved by a shareholders' resolution on October 31…”
    — Gematsu
    1. 5 outlets Gang of Dragon developer Nagoshi Studio shutters months after NetEase cut funding

      first by GamesIndustry.biz, 11d ago · also YugaTech, 玩具人 TOY PEOPLE, VGChartz, Gematsu

      4 more headlines
    2. 1 outlet Nagoshi Studio officially dissolved as of October 31, according to Japanese government gazette

      first by AUTOMATON, 11d ago

  4. background

    Reports surface of ten months of studio silence — About a month before the official dissolution, reports begin circulating that development at Nagoshi Studio has ceased after roughly ten months without updates.

  5. background

    NetEase pulls funding; trailer and channel vanish — In the early months of 2026 NetEase pulls the studio's funding; soon after, Nagoshi's YouTube channel and the GANG OF DRAGON reveal trailer are taken offline, alarming fans.

  6. background

    Bloomberg reports NetEase plans to cut studio's funding — Bloomberg reports NetEase Games intends to stop funding Nagoshi Studio starting in May 2026, though the studio would have the option to go independent if it could buy itself out.

  7. background

    Studio reveals GANG OF DRAGON at The Game Awards — Nagoshi Studio announces GANG OF DRAGON, a Kabukicho-set action adventure game starring Korean actor Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee), generating strong fan excitement.

  8. background

    NetEase backs Nagoshi in founding his new studio — Nagoshi Studio is established in Shinjuku, Tokyo, by Yakuza series creator Toshiro Nagoshi with funding from NetEase Games.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 4 outlets Toshihiro Nagoshi’s Studio Officially Dissolves: The Fate of 'GANG OF DRAGON' and That Star-Studded Announcement

    first by Istituto Impariamo, 10d ago · also Inven Global, SavePoint Gaming, Wccftech

    4 more headlines
  2. 3 outlets Nagoshi Studio officially closes after NetEase cuts funding

    first by Video Games Chronicle, 9d ago · also Game Developer, Eurogamer

    3 more headlines

and 2 smaller pieces

What people are saying 7 voices from 1 site · best of 10 · verbatim