Kenny Omega on why he loves the Yakuza series

Iconic pro wrestler Kenny Omega sat down with GAMINGbible for a recent interview where he opened up about his love of video games, his first gaming memories and the seminal Yakuza franchise.

See the full interview here

“When I was an aspiring, young pro wrestler that wasn’t sure if he could make it, or how far he could make it,to me, the end goal was always: I want to go to Japan”, Omega explained while talking about Like a Dragon: Ishin!, the upcoming samurai title.

The wrestler opened up about how he would deal with moments of doubt by playing the original Yakuza game - the title that began the beloved series - and how it would let him “live vicariously in that world” by playing on his PlayStation 2.

Sega

It’s clear that Kenny Omega has come a long way from those early days, and has even reached a point in his career where he will feature in the next Ryu Ga Gotoku title as a trooper card, similar to actor and gaming connoisseur Rahul Kohli.

“It’s kind of a dream come true”, Omega answered when asked about appearing in Like a Dragon. “To be involved in a game where, as you are, you kind of live on timelessly is very cool. So, I feel like, at almost my wrestling peak, I get to get involved with something that has been near and dear to my heart, and it will be preserved until eternity in that state.”

Sega

Launching later this month, Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a spin-off title that takes recognisable faces from the franchise and transports them to 1853 in order to tell a dramatic tale from Japanese history.

Coming to PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles, fans will be able to take in this samurai epic with Kenny Omega adding a combat boost. What’s not to love about that?