RGG Studio Confirms No AI Used for Tupac Character in Stranger Than Heaven

RGG Studio has provided clarification on how it approached resurrecting Tupac Shakur as a character in the upcoming game Stranger Than Heaven. The studio confirmed it did not use artificial intelligence technology to create the likeness, instead relying on traditional research methods.

"RGG Studio is treating this integration with the utmost respect for his legacy, crafting every aspect in close collaboration and without the use of AI, including his character design based on archival footage and photographs," the studio wrote.

The character using Shakur's likeness is named Amaru. According to RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama, it was Snoop Dogg who suggested Tupac for the role. Snoop Dogg himself appears in the game as Orpheus, a globe-trotting merchant who mentors the protagonist Daito after discovering him stowed away on his ship bound for 1915 Japan.

The broader cast includes musicians Tori Kelly and Satoshi Fujihara, Shogun actor Tokuma Nishioka, and voice actor Akio Otsuka. The game's story spans 50 years of history.

Yokoyama noted that using likenesses of deceased figures has been common in Japanese gaming for over 20 years. "In Japan, there isn't really so much sensitivity over this issue because this is something that's kind of part and parcel of the Japanese gaming culture for 20-plus years. There's been a lot of people who have modeled their characters after actors alive and passed away," he told GameSpot.

Stranger Than Heaven launches January 15, 2027, on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The game will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass.