All articles tagged with #rgg studio
RGG Studio's Stranger Than Heaven will feature a digitally resurrected Tupac Shakur and explore how he might act if he were alive in 2026, with consent from his family and estate and a focus on envisioning a potential future rather than recreating his past; the cameo ties to Snoop Dogg's role and the game's Tojo Clan origin story, with a winter release and ongoing rights considerations.
RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama explains the decision to cast Tupac Shakur in Stranger Than Heaven, a move inspired by Snoop Dogg and pursued with Tupac’s family and estate approval; the team intends to depict Tupac’s potential future rather than his past, a choice that remains controversial as the game launches January 15, 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Hands-on with Stranger Than Heaven reveals a weighty, parry-based combat system that maps left/right bumper actions to stance-specific strikes and uses directional blocks for precise counters, all while sticking to a knife-wielding, no-dodge approach. Encounters with waves of enemies and a challenging miniboss showcase a tense, Souls-like rhythm, but the author remains unsure what Makoto Daito fights for or what RGG Studio is ultimately aiming to say, especially given recent controversies around the Tupac cameo and broader studio direction. At its core, the demo excites with its brutal, methodical combat, even as the larger narrative questions linger.
RGG Studio’s Virtua Fighter Crossroads reimagines the classic fighting series as a “fighting adventure,” pairing a large, branching narrative in a seedy Southeast Asian city with cinematic combat and new mechanics like Break, Rush, Flow Guard, and Stunner. It blends traditional one-on-one Virtua Fighter mechanics with multi-opponent battles, adds exploration and side content, and aims to push the genre forward for a 2027 release, with the team signaling openness to community feedback on tournament readiness.
At Summer Game Fest 2026, Sega and RGG Studio announced that rapper/actor Tupac Shakur will join the cast of STRANGER THAN HEAVEN as the character Amaru, joining Snoop Dogg and Cordell Broadus in the game. The title is set for a worldwide release on January 15, 2027 and will be available on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Steam, and PlayStation 5, with pre-orders open for digital standard/ deluxe editions and physical standard/collector’s editions. The Collector’s Edition includes a 12-inch vinyl, exclusive steelbook, and DLC codes; Tupac’s portrayal is supervised by his estate and created without AI, with more details to come.
STRANGER THAN HEAVEN will release on January 15, 2027 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store, with Game Pass support. Tupac Shakur joins the cast as Amaru, alongside other announced actors, and Snoop Dogg with Cordell Broadus appear, contributing to the soundtrack. Pre-orders are available for digital and physical editions, including a limited Collector’s Edition with a 12-inch vinyl, SteelBook case, and bonus content; the game is developed by RGG Studio and published by SEGA.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Stranger Than Heaven will feature Tupac as the character Amaru via a sanctioned digital resurrection supervised by his estate, announced by Snoop Dogg at Summer Games Fest 2026; the game is due January 2027 and also includes late actor Bunta Sugawara, with Sega emphasizing no AI was used and likenesses drawn from archival footage, continuing debates over digital re-creations.
SEGA and RGG Studio unveiled Virtua Fighter Crossroads, a new entry due in 2027 that pairs cinematic storytelling with the series’ signature realistic, accessible combat, introducing a new fighter Cielo; a Crossroads Showcase was set to reveal more details, with a trailer and first screenshots released.
A leaked trailer fragment for Virtua Fighter Crossroads (Virtua Fighter 6) from RGG Studio appeared on Bilibili, hinting at a ground-up reboot with simple three-button controls and a fresh visual direction inspired by Street Fighter and Tekken; a full trailer is anticipated soon, potentially before EVO in June.
Footage leaked online suggesting Virtua Fighter 6 will be titled Virtua Fighter Crossroads, introducing new fighter Cielo alongside familiar characters (Pai Chan, Stella, Wolf Hawkfield) and signaling a narrative-driven, realism-focused reboot with intuitive controls; the video, first seen on Bilibili, hints at an official reveal at upcoming events such as State of Play, Summer Games Fest, and Evo 2026.
A leaked video on Bilibili appears to show a behind-the-scenes diary for the next Virtua Fighter game, reportedly titled Virtua Fighter Crossroads and developed by RGG Studio. Sega has not officially announced a title. The footage emphasizes a strong narrative while keeping a one-on-one mode readily accessible, and discusses bringing realism to guard mechanics and a depth of moves, all while preserving intuitive controls. The clip has circulated on ResetEra and r/VirtuaFighter.
A leaked PS5 trailer labeled Virtua Fighter Crossroads shows over 90 seconds of gameplay with characters like Stella, Wolf, and Pai, plus behind-the-scenes interviews with RGG Studio. The footage suggests a polished next-gen fighter, but no release date has been announced yet, keeping fans eager for more updates this year.
During Sega/Xbox’s reveal for Stranger Than Heaven, the Yakuza prequel reveals a CG likeness of late actor Bunta Sugawara (died 2014), crafted from archival material with family consent and voiced by Takashi Ukaji. This marks the first time RGG Studio uses a deceased actor’s likeness in a game, prompting debate over memorialization versus exploitation and drawing criticism that the move could commodify Sugawara’s legacy, though Sega says it honors him with materials provided by Toei.
Stranger Than Heaven is confirmed as a Yakuza origin story spanning 50 years, following Makoto Daito. The game shifts focus from traditional Kiryu-style action to music-driven gameplay—building bands to fund pursuits—while combat uses a unique left/right-arm system and weapon upgrades. It still includes open-world exploration and minigames, with Snoop Dogg voicing a character, and is headed to PS5 this winter, with more details promised by RGG Studio.
Xbox will air a 30-minute special, Xbox Presents: A Special Look at Stranger Than Heaven, on May 6 (4pm PT / 7pm ET; May 7 UK), offering insights from developers and cast into the game's five-era, five-city modern Japan setting and its 50-year story. The show streams on YouTube, Twitch, and regional Xbox channels (with a Japanese version on Xbox Japan YouTube and subtitles in multiple languages; accessibility options including Audio Descriptions and ASL/JSL). A post-show recap will follow on Xbox Wire, and co-streams are allowed though bots may interfere. Stranger Than Heaven is coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud, as an Xbox Play Anywhere title and Game Pass.