Yakuza 0 comes west on January 24

SEGA have announced that the prequel to their long-running Yakuza franchise will be released in North America and Europe on January 24, 2017.

Yakuza 0 takes place before the events of the first game, telling the origin stories of Kazuma Kiryu, the rising Dragon of Dojima, and Goro Majima, the Mad Dog of Shimano. A press release gives a brief plot description:

Taking place in a chilly but electric Kamurocho, Tokyo in December 1988, Kiryu’s story follows his steady ascension up the ranks of the Dojima yakuza crime family until he gets blamed for a debt collection gone wrong. Kiryu must utilize his cunning and his fists in order to regain his honor and save the reputation of his father figure, Shintaro Kazama. Meanwhile, Goro Majima is running a popular cabaret in Osaka, but he wants more than anything to rejoin the yakuza clan that ousted him. He’ll need to complete a series of impossible tasks set by his bosses, but will these tasks push Majima past the point of no return?

Yakuza 0 will receive a physical and digital release in both regions on January 24, and will be available exclusively on PS4.