Key facts
- Stranger Than Heaven follows protagonist Makoto Daito across five historical eras and cities in Japan from 1915 to 1965.
- The game’s timeline spans Kokura, Fukuoka (1915), Kure, Hiroshima (1929), Minami, Osaka (1943), Atami, Shizuoka (1951), and Shinjuku, Tokyo (1965).
- Makoto Daito, a half-Japanese orphan, stows away aboard a ship in San Francisco in 1915 to escape persecution in America and seek his mother’s homeland.
- The ship Makoto boards belongs to the merchant Orpheus, voiced and modeled after Snoop Dogg.
RGG Studio released the first story trailer for Stranger Than Heaven on October 16, 2026, focusing on Act 1 set in Kokura, Fukuoka. The game is scheduled for release on January 15, 2027, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store), with availability via Xbox Game Pass. The trailer introduces Makoto Daito, a half-Japanese orphan who stows away aboard a ship in San Francisco in 1915 to escape persecution in America and seek his mother’s homeland.
Stranger Than Heaven spans five historical eras and cities in Japan, from 1915 to 1965, following Makoto’s journey through Kokura, Fukuoka (1915), Kure, Hiroshima (1929), Minami, Osaka (1943), Atami, Shizuoka (1951), and Shinjuku, Tokyo (1965). The game’s narrative explores Makoto’s rise as a showman and his efforts to build a foundation for survival in Japan, blending historical continuity with immersive gameplay mechanics. This marks RGG Studio’s first major project outside the Yakuza franchise.
During his voyage to Japan, Makoto meets fellow stowaway Yu Shinjo, who becomes his best friend. Upon arriving in Kokura, Makoto faces harsh realities, including discrimination and an unwelcoming environment. The ship he boards belongs to the merchant Orpheus, voiced and modeled after Snoop Dogg, who takes Makoto under his wing and helps him integrate into the Yashima clan (a local organization) in Kokura.
The game’s development includes collaborations with notable figures, including Snoop Dogg, who voiced Orpheus. RGG Studio secured permission from Tupac Shakur’s estate and family to include him as a character named Amaru, using archival footage and photographs for his likeness. A live actor will perform Tupac’s voice in the game to honor his legacy.
The game features an international cast, including Yu Shirota, Dean Fujioka, Moeka Hoshi, Tori Kelly, Akio Otsuka, Tokuma Nishioka, Satoshi Fujihara, Cordell Broadus, Ado, and the late Bunta Sugawara (voiced by Takashi Ukaji). SEGA and Netflix have also partnered to adapt Stranger Than Heaven, along with Crazy Taxi and Sonic, into a series. The release was delayed from an earlier date, possibly due to competition with GTA 6, which launched in October 2026.
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