We’ve just gotten our best look yet at STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, the next upcoming game from RGG Studio and a pseudo-prequel story to the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series.
Clocking in at over 30 minutes, a special, dedicated showcase for the game presented by Xbox aired today, and lifted the lid on the game’s story, cast, combat, theme song (from Snoop Dogg!) and even some surprising musical gameplay.
STRANGER THAN HEAVEN still doesn’t have a firm release date, but this new showcase puts it at a (Northern Hemisphere) Winter release, so somewhere in the realm of December 2026 to early 2027. It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and will be included in Xbox Game Pass at launch.
Here’s the video in full along with a brief rundown of what we learned, if you can’t make the time to watch the whole thing (show starts an hour in):
STRANGER THAN HEAVEN Showcase rundown
Story
STRANGER THAN HEAVEN follows Makoto Daito, a Japanese-American who decides to start a new life in his mother’s homeland of Japan, after losing both of his parents and facing persecution in the USA for his heritage. It’s on stowing away aboard a ship bound across the Pacific that Makoto meets Orpheus, played by none other than Snoop Dogg, an international smuggler who decides that Japan might just be his own lucky break and takes on Makoto as personal protégé.
The game’s story will follow Makoto Daito across a 50-year timeline from 1915 to 1965 as these circumstance and fateful encounters inform the trajectory of his new life in Japan, his growing involvement in the Yakuza and other crime syndicates, and his relationship with fellow stowaway, Yu Shinjo.
Cast
The game will featured a stack line-up of talent including Yu Shirota, Dean Fujioka, Moeka Hoshi, Akio Otsuka, Tokuma Nishioka, Satoshi Fujihara, Tori Kelly, Snoop Dogg and son, Cordell Broadus, Ado and the late Bunta Sugawara.
Sugawara appears via CG character design based on the late actor’s likeness, with formal consent from his family, based on archival footage and photographs from the time, and his character is voiced by Takashi Ukaji, who SEGA says shared a close connection with the actor.
Eras and cities
STRANGER THAN HEAVEN takes place across five distinct cities, each taking inspiration from real-life locations during the respective eras that Makoto finds himself in them. And of course, it all ends in the familiar streets of Kamurocho. Here’s a bit about each city and era from SEGA and RGG’s official press release:
- 1915, Kokura, Fukuoka: home of what was said to be one of the world’s largest foundries, a smoke-scorched town bursting with the passion of hard-driven, equally fiery workers.
- 1929, Kure, Hiroshima: a port town dominated by Japan’s largest naval arsenal and heavily influenced by the presence of yakuza organisations.
- 1943, Minami, Osaka: the biggest entertainment district in western Japan, set against the ever-rising tension of a world at war.
- 1951, Atami, Shizuoka: a bustling seaside getaway synonymous with tourism in postwar Japan.
- 1965, Shinjuku, Tokyo: Japan’s most iconic pleasure district—a city of swirling and unpredictable chaos.
Combat
STRANGER THAN HEAVEN is taking a unique approach to combat, introducing a system where players control Makoto’s left and right sides independently. This means the right bumper and trigger create punches and kicks with the right side, and then the same for the left, and by combining left and right presses and holds you’ll create all manner of dynamic and brutal combos, tackles, counters and finishers.
Weapons will also feature, from knives to hammers and (potentially) firearms, which can be upgraded and customised through the game.
Music
Early on in the adventure, it’s discovered that Makoto has a natural, musical talent, and so music will play a key role in STRANGER THAN HEAVEN.
During the game, players will find themselves in the role of a showman, tasked with producing their own musical acts, promoting and managing shows as a way to build up wealth and infamy.
In order to do this, Makoto is able to find and memorise sounds from the world around him, and then use those to compose original tracks and build up a show around them – everything from sweeping brooms, to hungry crows, stray dogs, snoring neighbours and even sounds from combat. He’ll also recruit folks he meets with unique talents to add to his shows.
The game’s theme song, aptly titled STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, was also revealed during the showcase and is the work of four of the game’s stars, Snoop Dogg, Satoshi Fujihara, Ado and Tori Kelly. It’s a bit of a banger, and you can listen to it right here.