A trailer for what appeared to be Shenmue 4 went viral recently, so much so that original developer Ys Net had to publicly confirm it as fake.
The leaked trailer, which has been reposted all over the internet late last week, ran for several minutes and had seemingly genAI visuals based on Shenmue 3, the latest entry in the beloved adventure series. The trailer ended with a 2026 release for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.
“A video has been posted on social media which uses our company logo without permission, falsely giving the impression that it is an official ‘Shenmue 4’ related video produced by us,” Ys Net said in a statement. “This video has absolutely no connection to Ys Net. Furthermore, at this time, Ys Net has not released any trailers, footage, or other promotional materials related to Shenmue 4.”
The developer went on to say that “the unauthorized use of our logo, and any act that misleads viewers into believing such content is official, constitutes a serious issue” and may constitute a trademark infringement, and unfair competition. As such, Ys Net is working with “relevant parties and preparing appropriate measures, including potential legal action.”
Here’s the full message from Ys Net:
YS NET Inc. has confirmed that a video has been posted on social media which uses our company logo without permission, falsely giving the impression that it is an official “Shenmue 4” related video produced by us. This video has absolutely no connection to YS NET. Furthermore, at this time, YS NET has not released any trailers, footage, or other promotional materials related to ‘Shenmue 4’.
We recognize that the unauthorized use of our logo, and any act that misleads viewers into believing such content is official, constitutes a serious issue that may amount to trademark infringement and unfair competition. We are currently working with relevant parties and preparing appropriate measures, including potential legal action.
We sincerely apologize to our fans and all related parties for any confusion this may have caused. We will continue to ensure the proper and accurate dissemination of information, and we ask for your understanding and cooperation.
The latest release, Shenmue III Enhanced, is in development for Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and a Nintendo console (TBC), though a release date wasn’t announced. The original Shenmue III has been available since 2019 on PC (via the Epic Games Store, and Steam), and PlayStation 4. Check out our review!
