Overview
- RGG Studio and SEGA set Stranger Than Heaven for release on January 15, 2027 for PS5, Xbox Series and PC with day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass.
- The Summer Game Fest reveal included a brief trailer cameo for a character named Amaru that uses Tupac Shakur’s likeness under permission and ongoing supervision from Amaru Entertainment.
- The studio said the likeness was created from archival footage and photos and asserted no generative AI was used in the character’s design.
- Critics and many fans reacted negatively online to the digital recreation, calling it ethically fraught because Tupac cannot consent, and social discussion trended after the June 5 reveal.
- Key questions remain unanswered about whether the game will use archival audio, a new voice actor, or other methods for the character’s voice and how large Amaru’s role will be in the story.