Like a Dragon: Ishin is making some changes to the 2014 original, some of which pertain to its Trooper Card system. And not only do they work differently this time around, they also contain special cameos from wrestler Kenny Omega and actor Rahul Kohli.
Omega’s trailer is mostly about his love for the series, calling this cameo a “dream come true.” He talked about playing Ishin at Tokyo Game Show in September 2022 and said he wanted to be in the game despite it coming out a few months later.
“I just got lost in thought, ‘What would Kenny Omega be in Ishin? What could he do? I wonder what that would be like,'” he said.
His Trooper Card is called “Essence of the One-Winged Angel,” a refence to Final Fantasy VII and his wrestling finishing move. The attack has Ryoma swing a giant sword-like wave of energy that has a large area of effect. Omega said it was awesome, but noted that even those who don’t know who he is will like the card because of its utility.
He finished out his video by stating that Ishin, from what he has played so far, “absolutely captures the essence and the style of storytelling that made the [Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio] universe so famous to begin with.” Omega also told IGN that he dreamed about having his actual wrestling moves in the series one day.
“It’s completely different,” he said. “It’s not a wrestling hold. It takes into account that we are heavily influenced by swordplay, magic, and gunplay. I thought it was a chance to do something a little different. As much as I do want, hopefully someday, to have some of my actual wrestling maneuvers in a game, for now I’m more than happy and thrilled to have a very unique and original attack that feels like it belongs in the universe.”
Omega also wrestled in Japan and even told Game Informer how he ran into Ishin near its original Japan release almost a decade ago.
His appearance in the series isn’t the biggest surprise, as he posted a picture of himself at Sega on Instagram on September 14, 2022 saying that the company made a model of him in the Yakuza engine. He’s also tweeted a few times about Yakuza in the past, giving his approval of a fan remix of his walkout set to a song from the series, thanking Sega for early access to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and celebrating the series’ 15th anniversary.
Kohli, known for his roles in The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass, is similarly a fan of the Yakuza and Like a Dragon games and said he found the series about a year or so ago. He noted that meeting other fans in the wild felt like being in a “cool club.”
His card, unlike Omega’s, has players blasting fire forward with their hands and is called “Essence of Firestorm.” He said that this fiery blast that damages everything was like him as a teenager.
“As a huge fan of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s games, I was honored to be asked to be a guest for the Like a Dragon: Ishin Trooper Cards,” he said. “As someone who is emotionally invested in the Like a Dragon story, I’m nervously excited to take on this mantle of being a small part of Ryoma’s journey. The close relationship that Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio have with their fan community, has been really exciting to see manifest in these cards. I’m very honored to not only be a part of the community, but to also be a part of the series.”
Kohli has been in a few games before like Rage 2, Fortnite, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, and most notably Gears 5 as Fahz Chutani.
These special cameo cards are only two of six that will all be free DLC on February 17 when Ishin releases early for those who pre-ordered (the game comes out on February 21 for those who don’t pre-order). These other four will be announced “in the coming days.”
