Tupac Shakur’s Digital Resurrection in Video Game Stranger Than Heaven Sparks Controversy

At Summer Game Fest 2026, Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio announced that the late rapper Tupac Shakur will appear as an original character named Amaru in the upcoming game Stranger Than Heaven, a prequel to the Like a Dragon series set in early 1900s Japan. The digital likeness, created without AI using archival footage, has drawn criticism from journalists and fans who question whether it cheapens Shakur’s legacy. Snoop Dogg, who also appears in the game with his son Cordell Broadus, said he worked closely with Shakur’s estate on the project. The estate, controlled by music executive Tom Whalley since Afeni Shakur’s death in 2016, has faced legal challenges—Shakur’s sister sued Whalley in 2022 for alleged embezzlement. This is not the first digital recreation of Shakur; a hologram performed at Coachella in 2012. Critics note the irony of placing a gangster rap icon in a game about gangland crime, while some see it as a fitting tribute. The game’s developer, RGG Studio, has faced skepticism since the departure of chief creative officer Toshihiro Nagoshi in 2021.