Sega’s Judgment series might not see a third entry after Lost Judgment releases on September 24, according to a report by Japanese weekly entertainment publication Nikkan Taishu.
Originally shared on Reddit and then picked up by outlets such as Kotaku, it seems a disagreement has developed between Sega and the talent agency behind Judgment lead star Takuya Kimura, known as Johnny & Associates or more simply Johnny’s. This information comes from a Japanese industry insider speaking to Nikkan Taishu.
The crux of the disagreement seems to stem purely around Sega’s desire to release Judgment on PC platforms. While Sega has repeatedly shared a desire to launch games on PC in order to broaden audience potential (as has been seen in recent years with the Yakuza series as well as a few Persona entries), Johnny’s apparently refuses to let the likeness of its talent appear in products on the PC platform. According to the Japanese insider speaking to Nikkan Taishu, because of this dispute, Lost Judgment will be the end of this series.
As explained by Kotaku, Kimura was previously in a boy band called SMAP represented by Johnny’s, and while the group no longer exists, he is still represented by the talent agency. Johnny’s is somewhat infamous for strict likeness control of its talent, not allowing photos to be shared online or members to even have social media accounts. It seems like they believe a release starring Kimura on a platform like PC will somehow lessen their control over the likeness.
It remains to be seen if an agreement will be made or if Sega will have to continue in a different direction for future Judgment games, but for now, Lost Judgment is set to release for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One on September 24.
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