Stranger Than Heaven Resurrects Tupac Without AI, Snoop Dogg Approves

Ever wondered how a game studio can bring a legendary artist back to life without stepping on toes? RGG Studio just showed us how it's done with Tupac Shakur in Stranger Than Heaven.

The game, from the makers of Yakuza and Like a Dragon, was first revealed at Summer Game Fest, and the decision to resurrect Tupac as a character raised eyebrows. But in a new update, RGG Studio confirmed they used traditional research methods—no AI involved. They're treating this with the utmost respect for his legacy, crafting every aspect in close collaboration and basing his character design on archival footage and photographs.

So who is this character? Tupac's likeness is used for Amaru, and get this—Snoop Dogg himself suggested Tupac for the role. Snoop also appears in the game as Orpheus, a globe-trotting merchant with an open mind about the legality of his wares. In the story, Orpheus discovers the protagonist, Daito, stowed away on his ship and mentors him on the harsh journey to 1915 Japan.

The cast is stacked with talent from around the world, including musicians Tori Kelly and Satoshi Fujihara, Shogun actor Tokuma Nishioka, and famed voice actor Akio Otsuka. You'll encounter all of them across a story spanning 50 years of history.

Other notable cast members include Yu Shirota as Makoto Daito, Dean Fujioka as Yu Shinjo, Moeka Hoshi as Tae Matsumoto, and Cordell Broadus as The Veiled Stranger. There's also Ado as Keiko Shirai, Bunta Sugawara as Genzo Iwaki (voiced by Takashi Ukaji), and Takaya Kuroda as Takeo Godai, among others.

Tupac isn't the only late star to appear in a game recently—Capcom's Onimusha: Way of the Sword used the likeness of Toshiro Mifune. As RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama explained, this is commonplace in Japan and not generally frowned upon. "In Japan, there isn't really so much sensitivity over this issue because this is something that's kind of part and parcel of the Japanese gaming culture for 20-plus years," he told GameSpot. "There's been a lot of people who have modeled their characters after actors alive and passed away."

Stranger Than Heaven launches on January 15, 2027, for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5. It'll also be available day-one on Xbox Game Pass. Will you be picking this up? What do you think about Tupac's inclusion? Let us know in the comments!