Ys Net's long-awaited Shenmue 3 eschewed E3 this year, and was instead pushed back into 2018. Towards the end of June, we learned that it plans to show face at this year's Gamescom and, ahead of the Cologne show next week, has announced a publishing deal with Deep Silver.

The announcement comes with no mention of whether or not we'll actually/finally get to see Ryo Hazuki in action, however series mastermind Yu Suzuki will host a meet and greet on the Gamescom show floor. If that's something you're into, head over here for more details.

Speaking to the publishing partnership, Suzuki said this via a statement: "I am very pleased to secure this global partnership with Deep Silver, which is comprised of incredible men and women who have a deep passion for bringing Japanese titles to the rest of the world. Throughout this process, Deep Silver has expressed a deep passion for Japanese games, the Shenmue franchise and its fans—this gives me further confidence in Shenmue 3 and that we have found the best partner possible."

Deep Silver's CEO Klemens Kundratitz added: "Shenmue is one of a few game franchises that have historical value whilst continuing to ignite passion across gamers. We are delighted to have signed this publishing partnership and look forward to utilizing our global publishing network to maximize the potential of this highly anticipated game."

So, an expected amount of back patting, then, but when will we see Shenmue 3 in motion? We've got boots on the ground in Cologne on the off-chance Gamescom holds the answer. In any event, Shenmue 3 is due at point in the latter half of 2018.