Right. So. Stranger Than Heaven, the Like A Dragon/Yakuza devs’ hop through different decades of 20th century Japanese history? You’re probably already aware that Snoop Dogg’s in it. Well, a digitally resurrected version of fellow rapper Tupac Shakur’s also in it. For reasons. Reasons that I’m sure will be readily apparent when Stranger Than Heaven comes out in January 2027.

The Tupac cameo and that release date of January 15th, 2027, have just been announced by RGG executive director Masayoshi Yokoyama at Summer Game Fest. Snoop was also there to explain that Tupac, shown in a trailer Yokoyama introduced, is appearing with his estate’s blessing.

Notably, he’s not the only dead bloke confirmed to be starring in Stranger than Heaven so far. Japanese actor Bunta Sugawara, who died back in 2014, is also appearing in the game with his family’s consent. Shakur, meanwhile, died in 1996, about nine years before the first Yakuza game came out.

I’ll be honest, as with far too many of RGG’s casting decisions of late, I’m feeling a bit icky about this one. If it’s just Shakur’s appearance being adopted by a character, as is the case with Sugawara, then it’ll be alright, if more than a bit surreal. If there’s any AI voice gubbins, though, I’ll be thoroughly put off.

Walking corpses aside, I’m intrigued by Stranger Then Heaven’s story, which tells the tale of half Japanese/half American protagonist Makoto Daito eventually founding the Tojo Clan – the famous yakuza group Kazuma Kiryu belongs to – following a bunch of band management and brawling in different decades. For a fuller picture of the story, check out my article from May.