110 Industries first caught the attention of Shenmue fans in September 2021, when series creator Yu Suzuki was featured in the publisher’s Tokyo Game Show press conference. The publisher is currently promoting the upcoming third-person action game Wanted: Dead from Ninja Gaiden director Hiroaki Matsui. In March 2022, after revealing concept art for Wanted: Dead on the publisher’s Instagram, a hopeful Shenmue fan suggested that the company should publish Shenmue 4, to which the account responded, “Why do you think Yu Suzuki was in our TGS stream?”

RELATED: Shenmue 3 Mod Brings Back Ren’s Original Voice Actor

The Shenmue series has seen a revival in popularity lately after over two years since Shenmue 3’s release thanks to the airing of Toonami and Crunchyroll’s Shenmue: The Animation, which is an anime adaptation of the first two games in the series from Lupin III and Megalo Box animation studio TMS Entertainment. Many fans have wondered if the anime will tie into an upcoming Shenmue project, however the anime’s staff have been adamant that production on the show started while Shenmue 3 was in development, with Yu Suzuki supervising the story.

Now, after the penultimate episode of the anime aired this past Saturday, 110 Industries has re-emerged teasing a “big announcement” coming in the “next couple of weeks.” Accompanying the post is an image of a banana and apple. Many Shenmue fans have already taken this to mean that 110 Industries is referencing Shenmue 3, in which players can choose to make Ryo eat an apple and banana before work every day.

Last year, Yu Suzuki claimed that he had multiple projects in development that he planned to reveal in 2021, one of which he claimed was a “sequel.” In that same year, Shenmue 3 producer Cédric Biscay revealed that YS Net was still pitching Shenmue 4 to potential publishers. It appears that the game may finally be revealed, however the reveal may not come immediately after the anime finishes airing later this week. Many video game events for the summer are quickly approaching such as Summer Game Fest, so even if the final episode airs without an announcement, Shenmue 4 is likely to be revealed soon.

Shenmue 4 is rumored to be in development.

MORE: Shenmue: The Animation Episode 11 Review