Kinda Funny Games Daily, 09.17.25 – Sega Leaks the Next Yakuza Game?!

Podcast: Kinda Funny Games Daily: Video Games News Podcast
Date: September 17, 2025
Hosts: Andy Cortez, SnowBikeMike (Michael Howard), Barrett Courtney, guest Roger Pokorny
Main Topics: Yakuza Kiwami 3 leak, government hearings on gaming, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake, game sales updates, Amazon’s Mass Effect casting, plus Battlefield 6 hands-on impressions.

Episode Overview

On today’s episode, Andy and Mike lead the conversation, joined by Barrett and Roger to break down a huge Sega leak around Yakuza Kiwami 3, a surprising move by the US government calling video game execs before Congress, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake details, a major sales win for Hollow Knight: Silksong, the Mass Effect Amazon show casting leaks, and hands-on impressions with Battlefield 6. The crew mixes trademark Kinda Funny banter with industry insight, shoutouts to longtime fans, and lively recommendations for newcomers to beloved franchises.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. US Government Calls Gaming CEOs Before Congress

• [06:31] Andy reports: Chair James Comer has summoned CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit to testify about online radicalization. Notably, Twitter/X leadership is absent from the list.
  • "Maybe start with 4chan before you go to the other spots." – Andy [06:33]
• The hearing is sparked by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which involved Discord communications.
• Caution against scapegoating, concern that this might not address deeper societal issues.
  • Barrett notes: “This does feel very much like old men who don’t understand...any sort of internet stuff.” [11:11]
  • Andy adds that there’s a history of political blame shifting: “Time is a flat circle...this thing will continue to persist.” [11:14]
• General consensus: This might be a “nothingburger,” but with potential for policy impact—likely to be revisited.

2. Sega/Yakuza Kiwami 3 Leak & RGG Studio’s Wild Pipeline

• [13:41] VGC reports Yakuza Kiwami 3 (remake of Yakuza 3) briefly listed on RGG’s site; removed ahead of a major stream. Panel is joined by Yakuza fan Roger Pokorny for reactions:
  • Roger: “This is what this is... apparently from the street... Yakuza 3 is a good game... but the gameplay is pretty bad and dated. So Kiwami 3 is definitely needed.” [16:28]
• RGG Studio is simultaneously working on Virtua Fighter, “Project Century” (Stranger than Heaven), Kiwami 3, and more.
• Remake primarily offers improved combat and quality-of-life features, retaining “beat ‘em up” style [19:17].
• Discussion devolves (hilariously) into the best play order for the Yakuza franchise—unanimous recommendation:
  • “Start with Zero. If you don’t like that one, then stop.” – Joey Radstone (via Super Chat) [39:34]
  • Roger: “Zero and one are so formative to the rest of that franchise...” [23:57]
• Franchise expansion and studio productivity lauded: “Every single year, I will put... Studio RGG... in best studio.” – Roger [21:59]

3. Splinter Cell Animated Series: Hype & Reactions

• [28:38] Live watch party for Netflix’s Splinter Cell animated trailer; group is surprisingly emotional and impressed.
  • Roger: “I did cry... 13 years since I’ve been fed. I’m gonna devour this thing.” [30:44]
  • Andy: “It looks so damn good. Man, Metal Gear—there could have been other awesome ones, but this looks so damn good.” [31:24]

4. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake Details Leak

• [41:47] French outlet Jeux Video leaks more about the upcoming AC Black Flag Remake:
  • Ubisoft aims for a March 2026 release; Singapore studio leading, with RPG-infused mechanics and seamless sailing like Odyssey.
  • More pirate-era content, four extra hours added, and some modern-day segments trimmed.
  • “Buff it up, make it look nice, let’s play it one last time... then, you know, probably never play it again.” – Mike [47:44]
  • Barrett calls Black Flag’s lead “top tier protagonist,” excited to revisit the classic [45:50]

5. Hollow Knight: Silksong Massive Sales & Metroidvania Renaissance

• [48:48] Silksong surpasses 3.2M sales on Steam, with huge numbers on other platforms. Team celebrates this genre-breaking moment:
  • Andy: “I think this will be the last time that any sort of side-scroller is talked about this much.” [49:32]
  • Barrett, Andy, and Mike riff on the likelihood of Silksong (like Elden Ring) bringing newcomers to the genre.
  • Recommended titles for new fans: Hollow Knight, Nine Sols (“Sekiro of this pocket of 2D metroidvanias”), Blasphemous 2, Prince of Persia: Lost Crown, Guacamelee, Metroid Dread, Ori. [53:21–53:54]

6. Amazon’s Mass Effect Series Casting Leaks

• [53:54] Insider leak reveals character breakdowns: likely Male Shepherd, “young Colin Farrell type,” female prosthetics-heavy co-lead (likely Liara), and a Doug Jones-like villain (Mordin Solus?).
  • Andy: “This has been on the bucket list for me since the streaming wars were not even wars yet.” [58:17]
  • Cautiously optimistic about adapting games to TV, sees Mass Effect as ripe for translation but worried about proportions/alien design.

7. Battlefield 6 Hands-On: New Maps & Modes

• [64:52] SnowBikeMike shares impressions after hands-on with Operation Firestorm remaster and the new largest map, Mirac Valley.
  • New “Escalation” mode: conquest with points deleted upon capture, encouraging aggressive, dynamic play [69:36].
  • Vehicle focus, ladder gadgets, and shotguns discussed; overall, the team feels “Battlefield still has the juice.” [72:13]

8. Industry News & Quick Round-Ups (“Wii News Channel”)

• [59:43] Silent Hill F scores 36/40 in Famitsu.
• Lollipop Chainsaw Repop announced, Dragon Quest: Smash Grow mobile beta revealed, Little Nightmares 3 demo drops today.
• IGN’s Dan Stapleton retires, Tom Marks (jokingly) mandates all review scores will now be 7.9 [62:11].

9. Fantasy Critic & Kinda Funny Community Banter

• [62:48] The internal Fantasy Critic league gets spicy: Mike’s nerd strategy pays off with “Trails in the Sky FC” earning an 88, resulting in leaderboard shuffle.
  • "You gotta believe in the nerds." – Mike [63:57]
• Super chats and shoutouts: Listeners debate Yakuza play order, Silk Song vs. Nine Sols storytelling, Mass Effect adaptation, and more.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike (on game franchise succession):

  • “You never want to be the guy. You always want to be the guy after the guy.” [04:02]

• Roger (on Yakuza Kiwami 3’s necessity):

  • “Kiwami 3 is definitely needed and it makes a lot of sense… Yakuza 3 is a good game… but the combat and gameplay is pretty bad and pretty dated.” [16:32]

• Andy (on government targeting game platforms for violence):

  • “Time is a flat circle...they'll never go after the real problem.” [11:14]

• Roger (on Splinter Cell show):

  • “I did cry. I cried about [the trailer] in my living room with my fiancée.” [30:44]

• Andy (on Silksong sales and the genre):

  • “This could be such a massive win for the industry...I hope this leads to a lot of people being awakened...” [50:52]

• Barrett (on modern Assassin’s Creed):

  • “Syndicate…we’re a vocal minority, but Syndicate is secretly the best of the old school Assassin’s Creed games in terms of gameplay and design.” [46:11]

• Mike (Fantasy Critic):

  • “You gotta believe in the nerds.” [63:57]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [06:31] — US Congress summons gaming CEOs
• [13:41] — Yakuza leak & RGG/Roger segment
• [28:38] — Splinter Cell animated series trailer reactions
• [41:47] — Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake leak
• [48:48] — Hollow Knight Silksong sales and Metroidvania recommendations
• [53:54] — Amazon Mass Effect casting leaks analysis
• [64:52] — Battlefield 6 hands-on, Operation Firestorm & Mirac Valley impressions
• [59:43, 62:11, 62:48] — Wii News: industry headlines, IGN changes, Fantasy Critic banter

Flow, Tone & Community Vibes

This episode is classic Kinda Funny: equal parts newsroom, inside joke factory, and playground for passionate gaming takes. Andy, Mike, Barrett, and Roger riff on news both silly and serious, bouncing between deep-dive analysis ("Zero is the place to start for Yakuza!") and wild tangents (Splinter Cell tears, oatmeal mishaps). Chat input and super chats keep the community at the center.

The crew’s conversational, affectionate tone makes even niche topics feel accessible—whether you’re trying Yakuza for the first time, or charting venture capitalist moves in Fantasy Critic.

For Newcomers / TL;DR

Biggest Stories:

• Yakuza Kiwami 3 leak is real—remake of a dated classic for hungry franchise fans.
• US Congress is calling major gaming CEOs over online radicalization, but the crew doubts it’ll solve the root issues.
• Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake is a major overhaul: modern mechanics, more pirate, less modern-day.
• Hollow Knight: Silksong is breaking sales records and could trigger a new wave of Metroidvania fandom.
• Amazon’s Mass Effect show casts for show leads resembling Shepherd, Liara, and Mordin; panel is optimistic but mildly anxious about translating the game's aliens to live action.
• Battlefield 6's biggest map and a clever new mode, Escalation, promise big things for series fans.

Community Corner:

• For Yakuza, start at Zero. If you know, you know.
• Fantasy Critic is serious business—believe in the nerds.
• Industry comings and goings: IGN’s Dan Stapleton retires, Little Nightmares 3 demo is here.

Listen To This If You...

• Love the Yakuza series or want a crash course on how to get started (hint: it’s zero).
• Want real talk about government finger-pointing at the game industry.
• Are an Assassin’s Creed or Metroidvania fan looking for what's next.
• Enjoy hands-on impressions from core shooter fans.
• Appreciate inside jokes, passionate debates, and a welcoming, nerdy community atmosphere.

“As long as you start with Yakuza 0, that’s a good...but you have to start with Zero! Just start with Zero, please, Jesus Christ.” – Roger Pokorny [23:33–23:38]