Stranger Than Heaven will explore Tupac’s “potential future” if “he was still alive now”, according to RGG studio head
RGG Studio, known for the Like A Dragon/Yakuza franchise, revealed details about its upcoming game Stranger Than Heaven at Summer Game Fest. The title is described as a Japanese history-hopping crime brawler that will explore an imaginative alternate timeline.
The game’s most notable announcement is its inclusion of a digitally resurrected version of late rapper Tupac Shakur. According to RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama, the game will explore Tupac’s “potential future” if he were still alive today—essentially asking “thirty years later, how would he act?” and imagining what his life and career might look like in the present day.
While Tupac’s digital likeness marks a significant inclusion, the game’s roster also features Japanese actor Bunta Sugawara, whose casting was announced first. The decision to feature Tupac’s likeness has garnered considerable attention and raised questions about the use of digital recreations of deceased public figures in interactive media.
Stranger Than Heaven continues RGG Studio’s tradition of blending historical settings with crime drama narratives. The studio’s head offered further explanation about the creative reasoning behind including Tupac, though the full details of his role and how the alternate timeline concept will be integrated into the game’s narrative remain to be seen.