Tupac in Video Games

On June 5, 2026, Snoop Dogg took the stage at Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles. Beside him stood producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto from Yakuza studio Ryu Ga Gotoku. The trailer the two presented ended with a surprise: a figure in a kimono and bandana who looks like Tupac. In the game, the character is named Amaru.

Sega Announces the Game for January 2027

Stranger Than Heaven is an action-adventure published by Sega and developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the creators of the Yakuza and Like a Dragon series. It is scheduled for release on January 15, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store), as well as on Xbox Game Pass. That is according to reports by Gematsu and Shacknews. The plot follows protagonist Makoto Daito through Japan in the second half of the 20th century, as Engadget summarizes.

According to Gematsu, the cast includes several Japanese actors as well as Snoop Dogg and his son Cordell Broadus, alongside singer Tori Kelly. Snoop Dogg and other musicians also contribute to the theme song. What role Amaru plays in the story, the studio has not yet revealed. Engadget reports that concrete plot details are not known. In the trailer, the character does not speak.

Under Estate Supervision and Without Artificial Intelligence

The character’s name is Tupac’s middle name, which traces back to the Indigenous leader Túpac Amaru II (see Names). At the same time, it is the name of the estate’s company: Amaru Entertainment, which Afeni Shakur founded in 1997.

Sega and the studio stated that Tupac’s portrayal was created “with permission and ongoing supervision” of the estate. The studio said it developed the character in close collaboration and “with the utmost respect for his legacy.” Its design was based on archival footage and photographs and was created without artificial intelligence. Billboard and AllHipHop emphasize that Snoop Dogg obtained the estate’s consent. Snoop has headed Death Row Records since 2022, the label where Tupac recorded his final albums in 1996.

There is a reason for emphasizing this approval: digital appearances of deceased individuals are controversial, and with Tupac there was already a precedent in the 2012 concert hologram (see Hologram). Questions regarding the rights to his voice and likeness are covered on the page AI, Hologram and Voice. Engadget struck a perplexed tone right in its headline: they were as confused as their readers. Indeed, the connection is not obvious at first glance: a rapper from California in a game about 20th-century Japan.

An Archival Verse for the Street Fighter Film

At the same time, a second connection between Tupac and entertainment media was underway that has nothing to do with Stranger Than Heaven. On July 24, 2026, 50 Cent said on a US television show that he had recorded the theme song for the feature film Street Fighter with Eminem and an unreleased Tupac recording. The film adaptation of the game series is scheduled to open in US theaters on October 16, 2026, according to reports.

The estate had agreed, and Tupac’s voice was not AI-generated, 50 Cent assured. Billboard and The Source relayed the statement; Musikexpress reported on July 31. No release date is mentioned in the reports; a release of the track could not be confirmed as of October 8, 2026. For an overview of estate releases, see the discography.

Whether Amaru Is Playable, the Studio Leaves Open

As of October 2026, the release date is confirmed, but has not yet arrived. Documented so far is only what Sega and the studio have announced: the name, the estate’s permission, the absence of AI, and the date. Whether Amaru is playable, as some reports claim (AllHipHop speaks of a “playable character”), or appears in the story as a supporting character, the studio has not confirmed in the sources reviewed. Statements from the family regarding the project were not found there either.

For fans, the news is a double-edged sword. It shows that Tupac’s image still carries weight with a Japanese studio thirty years after his death. But it also raises the question of how closely an estate should be tied to game storylines that the deceased never knew. The announcement report is in the news archive; the historical context of Death Row is on the page Death Row Records. The role of the estate in fashion and licensing is shown on Merchandise and Fashion.