RGG Studio is preparing to release its first new IP, Stranger Than Heaven, on January 15, 2027, with a live combat gameplay demonstration scheduled for July 23, 2026.
RGG Studio announced its new title Stranger Than Heaven at Summer Game Fest 2026, confirming a January 15, 2027 release for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store, with day-one inclusion in Xbox Game Pass. The game is the studio's first entirely new IP outside the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise. Executive director Masayoshi Yokoyama stated the game was originally planned as a trilogy before being consolidated into one title, and he emphasized that it is not a Yakuza spin-off but a completely new game with its own UI, systems, and tone.
In June, RGG Studio held a Japanese media hands-on event and joint interview, detailing a 50-year story spanning from 1915 to 1965 across five cities: Kokura, Kure, Osaka, Atami, and the fictional Kamurocho. The story follows half-American, half-Japanese protagonist Makoto, who stows away to Japan after losing his parents. The combat system assigns each of the protagonist's limbs to a trigger button, requiring players to parry and counter enemy attacks from specific directions. Show business elements, where players collect sounds to produce performances, serve as the protagonist's primary means of income and social standing.
On July 17, the studio announced a live stream for July 23, 2026, as part of the 52nd episode of Ryusta TV, where a voice actor will demonstrate the combat system live for the first time. The stream will feature executive director Masayoshi Yokoyama, producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto, and MC Ayano Moriyama. Cast includes Yu Shirota as protagonist Makoto, Snoop Dogg as Orpheus, the late Bunta Sugawara (with consent from his family and archival materials from Toei Company), and American rapper 2Pac. The theme song is performed by Snoop Dogg, Satoshi Fujihara, Ado, and Tori Kelly.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
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Jul 17
Sega and RGG Studio announced on July 17 that the 52nd episode of their official program 'Ryusta TV' will air on July 23 at 20:00 JST, featuring the first live gameplay demonstration of the upcoming title 'Stranger Than Heaven.' The stream, which will be broadcast on YouTube Live and Nico Nico Live, is set to show the game's combat system in action for the first time. A voice actor from the series, who played Chitose Fujimiya in 'Like a Dragon 8,' will handle the controller in what the studio is calling the world's fastest live stream of the game. Masayoshi Yokoyama, executive director of the title and RGG Studio representative, producer Hiroyuki Sakamoto, and MC Ayano Moriyama will also appear. 'Stranger Than Heaven' is scheduled for release on January 15, 2027, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Jun 23
RGG Studio held a Japanese media hands-on event and joint interview for its new title Stranger Than Heaven, scheduled for release on January 15, 2027, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Executive director Masayoshi Yokoyama revealed that the game was originally planned as a trilogy before being consolidated into one title. The story follows half-American, half-Japanese protagonist Makoto Oto across five eras from 1915 to 1965, starting in Kokura and ending in Shinjuku. Yokoyama said the setting was chosen to explore how organized crime formed, a question left unanswered by the Yakuza series. The combat system assigns each of the protagonist's limbs to a trigger button, requiring players to parry and counter enemy attacks from specific directions. Yokoyama emphasized the game is not a Yakuza spin-off but a completely new title with its own UI, systems, and tone. The demo featured stronger enemies to teach the controls, with the final version adjusted for smoother pacing. Show business elements, where players collect sounds to produce performances, serve as the protagonist's primary means of income and social standing.
Jun 5
RGG Studio, the developer behind the Yakuza series, announced during the Summer Game Fest 2026 livestream on June 5 that its new title Stranger Than Heaven will launch on January 15, 2027. The game will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store, and it will be included in Xbox Game Pass from day one. A new trailer revealed additional cast members, including American rapper Tupac (credited as 2Pac), alongside previously announced actors such as Yu Shirota as protagonist Makoto Daito and Snoop Dogg as Orpheus. The story spans 50 years across five eras and five Japanese cities: Kokura in 1915, Kure in 1929, Osaka in 1943, Atami in 1951, and the fictional Kamurocho in 1965. The narrative follows Makoto, a half-American, half-Japanese boy who stows away on a ship to Japan after losing his parents, and his encounters that shape the founding of the Tojo Clan. The game's theme song is performed by Snoop Dogg, Satoshi Fujihara, Ado, and Tori Kelly. Sega also confirmed that the late actor Bunta Sugawara appears as a character, with his family's consent and archival materials provided by Toei Company.