Announced in a press release on November 19th YSNET confirmed that ININ Games partner with them and take responsibility for Shenmue 3’s publishing rights going forwards.
The statement reads as follows:
‘November 19, 2024 – ININ and YS NET announces that the publishing for Shenmue III will officially transfer to ININ Games as of today. Following the previous collaboration on Air Twister, this will deepen the relationship between ININ Games and YS NET. Known for their commitment to celebrating beloved titles, ININ Games is excited to shepherd Shenmue III into its next phase. This collaboration marks the beginning of a new chapter for Shenmue III, with ININ Games working closely alongside YS NET to honor the series’ legacy while ensuring its accessibility to even more fans around the world.’
The statement goes on further into the detail around ININ Games and YSNET as respective firms.
This announcement likely confirms two things
- Deep Silver/Embracer Groups Involvement with Shenmue 3 is over
- The exclusivity deal with Sony was for 5 years
The key term here is ‘shepherd Shenmue III into its next phase’ and ‘ ensuring its accessibility to even more fans around the world.’ This intimates a cross platform release (Xbox, Switch or both) is coming.
Also, what does this mean for the future of the Shenmue series? ININ Games have a rich history of supporting passion projects. Could this be a marker for more Shenmue content to come?
Matt also explore the news in his video here:
