Released in Japan last December, Judgement (or Project Judge in Japan) is a Yakuza spin-off title where players take on the on the role of a detective (instead of a Yakuza member). Sadly though, things aren’t looking good for the game as SEGA just announced that it will halt the sales of Judgement in Japan, both physical and online versions.
The halt of Judgement’s sales was done after voice actor Pierre Taki was arrested for alleged use of cocaine, a violation of Japan’s drug law. In Judgement, Pierre Taki plays Kyohei Hamura, captain of the Matsugane family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPqh8mD33fE
There’s no word yet on how long SEGA’s halting of Judgement shipments will last, nor is there news whether or not this is temporary or permanent. As for the game’s Western release, SEGA is still currently discussing what to with the game’s English release.
For us, we definitely hope that Judgement’s English release won’t get cancelled outright, especially as we found that it was a promising title. If you’re interested to find out more about Judgement, read our impressions of the game from Tokyo Game Show 2018 here:
Yakuza meets LA Noire in Sega’s upcoming game ‘Project JUDGE’ | TGS 2018