What follows is a combination of words I never thought I’d write: Count Binface has called on Sega to make Shenmue 4.
Okay, this will need a bit of an explanation. Count Binface is a man who is famous in the UK for standing in local elections while wearing a trash can (we Brits call it a bin) on his head. He never wins; rather, his goal is to make the electoral process look ridiculous, and he’s pretty good at it. Count Binface standing unceremoniously in the background while votes are read out for other candidates has a habit of making even the most sincere of politicians look more than a little silly.
But Count Binface is perhaps more famous now than he’s ever been, and that’s because he is the sole challenger to right-wing leader of the Reform UK party and Donald trump chum, Nigel Farage, who recently resigned as MP for Clacton, triggering a by-election in which he says he will stand. The resignation came amid allegations about his personal financing, which he continues to deny. Under increasing pressure, Farage took the high ground — or so he presumably thought — declaring that the “judges of my actions” should be his constituents.
Enter Count Binface, aka the comedian Jon Harvey, who confirmed he will run in the Clacton by-election. His slogan: “’My appeal is that I’m not Nigel Farage.”
This is an election showdown for the ages, and Count Binface might actually get some votes this time, because rival parties dismissed Farage’s actions as a stunt and said they would sit out the election. So, yes, we are set for Count Binface vs Nigel Farage, winner takes all (well, Clacton).
Okay. Still with me? Good. So, with Count Binface doing the rounds on super serious news programs on the BBC and the like, he’s carved out the time to issue a special message for Sega. Count Binface was commandeered by Shenmue fan group Shenmue Dojo, who used Cameo, a website where people pay celebrities for personalized video messages, to get Farage’s political nemesis to issue a surprising call to action.
“Hi, Count Binface here, intergalactic space warrior and maybe the next MP for Clacton!” he says in the video.
“But, I have more important, pressing duties to do right now, because I need to say a galactic hello to Sega on behalf of the Shenmue fans. Now, I’m not just saying hello, Sega. I’ve got a little bone to pick with you because the fans would like to campaign for an update — from you, Sega — about Shenmue 4. Yes, they can’t leave you guys on another cliffhanger for years! Yes, I wonder whether Sega needs to be nationalized along with Adele?
“What do you say? Shall we harness the power of the Shenmue to ensure that there is no delay with updates ever again? I’d quite like the sound of that. I’d quite like to reboot SegaWorld in London’s Trocadero, and have old Sonic the Hedgehog back in his prime. Oh, that would be wonderful.
“But hey, I digress. The point is, the Shenmue fans are amazing. Sega, you need to get your bottoms in gear, sort yourselves out, get the update done.
“Whether you’re Sega or the Shenmue, the most important thing of course is to follow me. And when everyone comes to vote, make your votes Count!”
🚨 BREAKING: @CountBinface has cast his vote for Shenmue and now he has a message for @SEGA_OFFICIAL @SEGA .
The campaign continues. The people have spoken.#LetsGetShenmue4 pic.twitter.com/dnBhyTCdUz
— Shenmue Dojo 🥋 (@Shenmue_Dojo) July 20, 2026
I particularly like the drive-by request for the return of SegaWorld in Tracadero, which I used to frequent on occasion during my teen years to play arcade games. And Sonic returning to his prime? I imagine the bosses at Sega wouldn’t agree with that sentiment.
In fact, I’d love to be a fly on the wall when the people at the top of Sega catch wind of Count Binface’s video message, if they ever do. I suspect there would be more than a few confused faces.
As for Shenmue 4, despite the power of Count Binface, it remains an unlikely project. As of now, it’s unknown if a fourth major Shenmue game will ever get made, though the franchise’s fans certainly hope it happens. Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki told IGN in 2023 that he wanted to create a fourth game at some point. This, Suzuki hoped at the time, would win the game a warmer reception across a wider set of platforms, after a middling response to Shenmue 3 at the game’s initial launch.
Honestly? It all sounds like rubbish to me.
Photo by Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
