Stranger Than Heaven rebuilds Tupac Shakur without AI for 2027 launch
Tupac Shakur will appear in a video game next year, rebuilt without artificial intelligence.
RGG Studio said its version of the late rapper, who appears as a character called Amaru in Stranger Than Heaven, was put together from archival footage and photographs. The studio discussed the process in comments reported on 24 September 2026. GameSpot
Stranger Than Heaven is scheduled to launch on 15 January 2027 for PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS5. The game is a period crime story from the team behind the Like a Dragon series. Its story runs from 1915 to 1965 across five cities. Xbox Wire
The casting started with Snoop Dogg. RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama said Snoop Dogg, who plays a character named Orpheus in the game, suggested Shakur for the role. The team then built Amaru around Shakur's likeness.
No AI was used for that recreation, the studio said. That choice matters for a general audience because AI likenesses, where software generates a face or voice from data, have become a sensitive issue in film, music and games. Here the work was manual, guided by old video and stills.
The wider cast mixes actors, musicians and a posthumous appearance. Makoto Daito, born in the story to an American father and a Japanese mother, is portrayed by Yu Shirota. Yu Shinjo, described as a half-Japanese, half-British man, is portrayed by Dean Fujioka.
In the city of Kokura, merchant and boss Heigo Yashima is portrayed by Akio Otsuka. Tae Matsumoto, a cafe waitress in Kokura, is portrayed by Moeka Hoshi. US singer Tori Kelly portrays Suzy Day.
The late actor Bunta Sugawara also appears in the game. Actor Takashi Ukaji performs the voice for Sugawara's character. Sega's character pages also list Yasukaze Motomiya as Tetsuya Hama and include a character named Kimura.
Xbox previously gave the game its own showcase. An Xbox Presents broadcast dedicated to Stranger Than Heaven promised around 30 minutes of detail on story, world and characters from developers and cast. That broadcast information was announced on 30 April 2026.
What makes this stand out is the blend. A historical setting, a living hip-hop star in a voice role, and a recreation of another star who died in 1996. For players, the test will be simple: whether Amaru feels like part of the world rather than a guest slot.
