The IJN Yubari (夕張, namesake: Yūbari River), built between 1922 and 1923, was an experimental testbed for Imperial Japanese Navy innovations, featuring weight-saving design and advanced Kampon boilers. Compared to the Sendai-class and previous vessels, she offered similar speed, combat, and range with 60% less displacement. Her design innovations influenced later Japanese heavy cruisers. This resulted in her being something between a very heavy destroyer and a very light cruiser.

She was introduced in Update "Direct Hit". As a test-bed for Japanese naval development, her role isn't quite standard. Playing closely to a well-armed gun destroyer, she packs 140 mm cannons with potent SAP shells, but the sluggish manoeuvrability of a cruiser. Survivability is notable for what she faces on the seas, offering armour survivability closer to a cruiser, with the crew count closer to a destroyer.