Sega has announced a voluntary halt on shipments and digital sales of Judgment(Judge Eyes: Shinigami no Yuigon) in Japan following news of actor Pierre Taki’s arrest for allegedly using cocaine in violation of Japan’s drug control law.
Taki plays the role of Kyohei Hamura in Judgment. Hamura is the captain of the Matsugane family, a subsidiary of the Tojo Clan based in Kamurocho.
In a press release, Sega said, “Sega has received the arrest reports and are currently confirming the facts, but for the time being, we will voluntarily refrain from shipments and digital sales of [Judgment], as well as from things like posting the product’s homepage. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause for customers, as well as the parties involved.”
In a tweet, Sega added its tweets related to Judgment have also been deleted.
Sega will make an announcement regarding its future course of action as soon as a decision is made.
Judgment launched for PlayStation 4 in December 2018 in Japan, and is due out in the Americas and Europe on June 25. There is no word on whether Taki’s arrest will affect the western release.
It should be noted that when Sega re-released Yakuza 4 for PlayStation 4 in Japan this January, Masayoshi Tanimura (one of the game’s four playable protagonists) was recast to be played by Toshiki Masuda due to original actor Hiroki Narimiya retiring in 2016 following allegations of cocaine abuse.
Update 1:34 a.m.: The Wall Street Journal reporter Takashi Mochizuki reported on Twitter that Sega is currently discussing its course of action regarding the western release of Judgment, and that a decision has not yet been made.
