Stranger Than Heaven: RGG Studio confirms Tupac likeness for Amaru without AI

Masayoshi Yokoyama reportedly said Snoop Dogg suggested Tupac for the role. RGG Studio has not yet given a full explanation of Amaru’s role in the story.

The studio says it will share more details about Amaru and other cast members later. The same report also mentions Orpheus, a globe-trotting trader who accompanies Daito on a ship bound for Japan in 1915.

What happened

RGG Studio has made it clear that the Tupac Shakur likeness in Stranger Than Heaven was created without generative AI. According to the studio, the character design is based on archive footage and photos, and was developed in collaboration with Tupac’s estate. In the available reporting, that collaboration is also described as a process in which the studio handled the integration with care and respect for Tupac’s legacy. That answers the question of how the likeness was created, both technically and creatively.

The version of the character using Tupac’s appearance is called Amaru. Masayoshi Yokoyama said that Snoop Dogg suggested Tupac for the role, but RGG Studio has not shared further details about Amaru’s place in the story. The studio has said it will reveal more information about Amaru and the rest of the cast later. For now, the confirmation is focused on the origin of the likeness rather than the character’s full narrative function.

The reporting also mentions Orpheus as a globe-trotting trader who accompanies Daito on a ship heading to Japan in 1915. That detail places the cast information in a historical setting and shows that Stranger Than Heaven includes multiple characters tied to a journey story. For Amaru, though, the exact role remains unclear for now, since RGG Studio has not yet provided a full explanation.

Background

Stranger Than Heaven is the new game from RGG Studio, the developer behind the Like a Dragon and Yakuza series. The current reporting is centered on the confirmation that Tupac Shakur’s likeness was not generated with AI. That matters because the studio is explicitly distancing itself from generative AI for this specific character design and instead pointing to archive material and photos as the basis.

The name Amaru is linked to that likeness in the reporting, but the studio has not yet given a full description of the character. Orpheus also remains limited to a short description in the game’s cast information. The available information identifies Orpheus as a traveling trader, but does not yet explain his relationship to Daito or the broader plot.

The setting mentioned in the report places part of the story in 1915 and on a ship bound for Japan. That gives the cast information a clear historical anchor, but RGG Studio has not yet revealed the full character lineup. The studio says more details will follow, so the current picture is mainly a confirmation of the production approach and an early look at the cast.

Stranger Than Heaven is still a project whose characters are being revealed in stages. The confirmation around Tupac Shakur’s likeness and the name Amaru is the clearest news for now, while the character’s role and the rest of the cast remain open. The reporting explicitly says RGG Studio will share more information about Amaru and other cast members later.