A current real-life real estate dispute in New York City is shockingly similar to the plot ofYakuza 0, much to the amusement ofLike a Dragonfans. This game is a prequel in the long-running franchise, where it not only helped grow its popularity outside of Japan to an astounding degree, but also has one of the most beloved stories in the fandom. The crux ofYakuza 0’s story revolves around a seemingly irrelevant piece of land where a murder occurs, forcing a youngKazuma Kiryu and Goro Majimato seek out answers.Incidentally, this exact same conflict seems to be happening in real life. First reported on by The New York Times, former governor of New York, Eliot Spritzer, is embroiled in a lawsuit. The main source of conflict in this lawsuit, of all things, is a tiny 350-square-foot plot of land. This pits the residents of 980 Fifth Avenue against Spritzer, where the latter owns an adjacent rental tower. If Spritzer owns the plot of land, he can demolish a nearby building and put in a high-end condo tower in its place.Like a Dragonfans who saw this story immediately noted how similar tothe conflict ofYakuza 0.RELATED:Like a Dragon: Ishin Adds Alex Moukala as a Trooper CardThe Empty Lot inYakuza 0mirrors the plot of land that Spritzer is fighting for, as it is trapped in-between a set of buildings and is vital to the Tojo Clan’s “Kamurocho Revitalization Project.” As a result, multiple parties fight to gain control of the property, where the owner gains full control of the project and its riches. OnceYakuza 0fansrealized how similar the New York real estate dispute was to the game, they all had a field day.
This resulted in several memes and jokes being made, with some stating that life can indeed imitate art. Others noted that the picture of the lot in question was very similar toYakuza 0’s own picture of the Empty Lot, which only adds to the comparisons. A lot of fans joked thattheLike a Dragonserieswas finally becoming “real” and should expect the same plot twists and revelations fromYakuza 0to be coming up as the real-life Spritzer case unfolds.
In-universe,Yakuza 0sees the Empty Lot being bought, resulting in the Kamurocho Revitalization Project proceeding as planned, though under new management. In its place, the Millennium Tower is built over the Empty Lot, which is an iconic location that has appeared in manyLike a Dragongames. While it’s too early to tell how the real-life dispute will unfold, it’s unlikely to feature murder, assassins, and former mafia-turned-real estate agents fighting in the streets of New York to control this property.
Yakuza 0is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
