In a recent Kickstarter update it was revealed that the previous sub director on Shenmue and Shenmue II, would be added to the production team for Shenmue III. Keiji Okayasu served as director alongside Yu Suzuki on the previous titles. Developer Ys Net said in the update "We are very happy to have back this Shenmue veteran who helped deliver the goods the first time around, and look forward to him doing it again."

The update included an interview with Okayasu-san, where he talks about his work on the previous titles as well as how he came to be part of the team for the Shenmue III. In the interview Okayasu-san says "I thought I would be another fan waiting excitedly for the release, but as it is, I get to once again be a part of the team"

There is still no official release date, however the game's Kickstarter page has an estimated delivery date for digital copies as December 2017. The game is due for release on PS4 and PC.