SEGA has announced that the company will be releasing Yakuza 2 in North America for PlayStation 2 some time in 2008.

News comes following the announcement of the third title in the series, due out exclusively on PlayStation 3 next year. Until now, the sequel to the 2006 original had previously only been available in Japan, due to lagging sales of the franchise in western territories.

Yakuza 2 is set one year after the events of the first game, with players once again assuming the role of Kiryu Kazuma. Having retired and become the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, Kazuma’s world is thrust into turmoil once again when a group known as the Omi assassinates a respected member of your clan. With tensions rising between the two clans and a showdown inevitable, it’s up to Kazuma to quell the situation as soon as possible.

Currently, it is unknown whether or not the game will see a release in European territories in addition to North America; we’ll be sure to keep you posted on any developments.