Overview
- RGG Studio revealed at Summer Game Fest in early June that Stranger Than Heaven will include a playable character using Tupac Shakur’s likeness and that the game is scheduled to launch on January 15, 2027 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
- Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama says the idea emerged from casting discussions with Snoop Dogg and that RGG negotiated approvals with both Tupac’s likeness rights holder/estate and surviving family before moving forward.
- RGG has repeatedly stated it did not use generative AI to recreate Tupac’s voice or image and that an actor will perform the character, which the studio describes as a speculative “potential future” version rather than a recreation of Tupac as he was.
- Online reaction has been sharply divided, with critics raising ethical objections and pointing to an ongoing legal dispute over control of Tupac’s estate involving executor Tom Whalley and family challengers, which complicates public acceptance of the approvals RGG cites.
- The episode spotlights wider industry questions about posthumous licensing, estate governance and technical provenance for digital likenesses and could prompt closer scrutiny of how games and estates negotiate future uses of deceased public figures.