Rumor: Shenmue 3 Might Be Coming to Switch 2

Shenmue 3 publisher ININ Games is hinting that the game could be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series consoles at some point in the future. 18 years after players were first introduced to Ryo Hazuki and his quest to avenge his father’s murder, Shenmue 3 was finally released on PC and PS4 in 2019 following a successful Kickstarter campaign. The results divided fans who had waited almost two decades to see the continuation of Ryu’s story, but creator Yu Suzuki has expressed his intent to finish the series someday despite the third game’s low sales.

In the meantime, publisher ININ Games acquired the rights to Shenmue 3 from Deep Silver and Embracer Group late last year, reigniting hopes that the game will eventually be ported to other systems. Fans have since made their desire to play Shenmue 3 on Xbox consoles clear across social media, and ININ itself gauged their requests in an online survey taken in December.

Earlier this week, ININ Games’ BlueSky account shared an image of Shenmue 3’s EDGE Magazine cover from April 2019, which was released nearly six months before the game itself. One of the post’s comments, from a BluSky user by the handle of ‪CABBAC, asked when Shenmue 3 will be ported to Xbox Series consoles or the Nintendo Switch 2. ININ simply answered that it will let the fanbase know when it happens. This is by no means a confirmation that Shenmue 3 is being brought to other systems, but it does seem to indicate that this might be in the cards.

ININ Games Hints At Shenmue 3 Switch 2 Port

Back when ININ Games first bought the rights to Shenmue 3, developer YS NET hinted that its new partner would “shepherd Shenmue 3 into its next phase.” Fans are still unsure of what this means, but an updated Switch 2 port could bolster the game’s mixed reputation. However, while the first two Shenmue games are playable on Xbox Series X/S thanks to backward compatibility with the Xbox One re-release, none of the previous installments are currently available on Nintendo systems. As such, it would probably be advisable to release the remastered versions of Shenmue and Shenmue 2 at some point as well.

So far, the Nintendo Switch 2 is building an impressive lineup of games for its first year on the market, with a mix of new titles like Mario Kart World and ports like Cyberpunk 2077 and Sonic X Shadow Generations. If ININ Games’ latest comments are anything to go by, then Switch 2 users might be able to add Shenmue 3 to this list, even as fans remain hopeful for another new game to pick up where Ryu Hazuki’s story left off.

Shenmue 3

Systems

Released

November 19, 2019

ESRB

T For Teen due to Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence

Developer(s)

Ys Net

Engine

Unreal Engine 4