# Stranger Than Heaven > Release date and time, editions, platforms and Game Pass, the five eras from Kokura 1915 to Shinjuku 1965, the cast and Tupac as Amaru, combat and Showbiz for RGG Studio's new game, and plainly what is not known yet Stranger Than Heaven is RGG Studio's action-adventure for SEGA, from the makers of Like a Dragon (Yakuza), out on Jan 15, 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and on Game Pass from day one. It follows Makoto Daito over fifty years and five cities of Japan, from Kokura in 1915 to Shinjuku in 1965, as a street fighter, a yakuza and a showman. This viki covers the release time, editions and platforms, the story and each era, every character and actor including Tupac Shakur as Amaru as SEGA describes it, combat, weapons, Showbiz and music, previews, RGG Studio and the Like a Dragon series, and says what is not yet known. Stranger Than Heaven is a video wiki on Vi.ki: every key paragraph carries a timestamped YouTube clip that shows what it says, and every page lists its sources. Page text is CC BY-SA 4.0. Canonical page URLs are https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/{slug}; a category lists its pages at https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/{category}, and a photo has its own page at https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/photo/{title}-{id}; please link to them when you quote a page. Subject: Stranger Than Heaven (schema.org VideoGame), the same thing as https://store.steampowered.com/app/4260840/. ## Background - [Development](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/development): Stranger Than Heaven was in development at RGG Studio for 6 to 7 years, began as a planned trilogy, was revealed as Project Century in December 2024 and renamed in June 2025, and uses no generative AI, according to RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama. - [Is Stranger Than Heaven a Yakuza Game?](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/is-stranger-than-heaven-a-yakuza-game): Stranger Than Heaven is set in the same fictional world as Like a Dragon (Yakuza), shows the founding of the Tojo Clan and ends in Kamurocho, but RGG Studio says it is a new title, not a series entry. The press often calls it a prequel. - [Like a Dragon Games in Order](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/like-a-dragon-games-in-order): The Like a Dragon (Yakuza) games in release order, from Yakuza (2005) to Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties (2026), with the Judgment spin-offs; Stranger Than Heaven, out Jan 15, 2027, is RGG Studio's next game, set in the same world but not a numbered entry. - [Masayoshi Yokoyama](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/masayoshi-yokoyama): Masayoshi Yokoyama is the head of RGG Studio and the executive director of Stranger Than Heaven, a longtime writer of the Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series who took over the studio in October 2021. The game's director is Mikinobu Abe. - [Netflix Movie](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/netflix-movie): SEGA and Netflix announced a live-action Stranger Than Heaven film on Sep 14, 2026, produced by SEGA head producer Toru Nakahara. As of Nov 3, 2026 no director, writer, cast or release date has been named. - [RGG Studio](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/rgg-studio): Stranger Than Heaven is made by RGG Studio (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio), SEGA's in-house team behind Like a Dragon (Yakuza) and Judgment, led since October 2021 by Masayoshi Yokoyama. SEGA publishes it on Jan 15, 2027. - [Wishlists and Popularity](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/wishlists-and-popularity): Stranger Than Heaven passed 1 million wishlists across all platforms in early September 2026, which SEGA calls RGG Studio's most wishlisted title of all time before launch. SEGA also names it a flagship release for its fiscal year to March 2027. ## Characters - [Characters and Cast](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/characters-and-cast): Stranger Than Heaven's official cast page credits 17 characters to the people who portray them, led by Yu Shirota as the hero Makoto Daito, with Dean Fujioka, Snoop Dogg, Ado, Tori Kelly, the late Bunta Sugawara in CG and Tupac as Amaru. No separate English voice cast has been published as of Nov 3, 2026. - [Genzo Iwaki](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/genzo-iwaki): Genzo Iwaki is the big boss of Kure in Stranger Than Heaven, head of the Iwaki Family that Makoto Daito joins in 1929. He is portrayed by the late actor Bunta Sugawara, made in CG from archival footage with his family's consent and Toei's materials, and voiced by Takashi Ukaji. - [Keiko Shirai](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/keiko-shirai): Ado plays Keiko Shirai in Stranger Than Heaven, the diva of wartime Osaka in the 1943 Minami chapter, and both voices her and sings her era's songs. Ado is also one of the four singers on the game's theme song. - [Makoto Daito](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/makoto-daito): Makoto Daito is the hero of Stranger Than Heaven, the son of an American father and a Japanese mother who flees San Francisco for Japan in 1915 and, over fifty years, becomes a yakuza known as the Red Oni and a showman. He is portrayed by Yu Shirota. - [Orpheus](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/orpheus): Snoop Dogg plays Orpheus in Stranger Than Heaven, a globe-trotting smuggler who finds Makoto Daito stowed away on a ship in 1915, takes him to Japan and spots his musical talent. Snoop Dogg also sings on the theme song, and his son Cordell Broadus plays the Veiled Stranger. - [Suzy Day](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/suzy-day): Tori Kelly plays Suzy Day in Stranger Than Heaven, a talented singer who dreams of making it big and whose rise in show business begins when she meets Makoto Daito in the Shizuoka segment. Kelly also co-wrote and sings the theme song. - [Takeo Godai](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/takeo-godai): Takaya Kuroda, the Japanese voice of Kazuma Kiryu, plays Takeo Godai in Stranger Than Heaven, a skilled craftsman and a man of few words. Godai is a new character, not Kiryu, and his era and role had not been shown as of Nov 3, 2026. - [Tupac Shakur as Amaru](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/tupac-shakur-as-amaru): SEGA says Tupac plays Amaru in Stranger Than Heaven, "a man living in hiding in Japan," a CG character RGG Studio built from archival footage and photographs with the permission and supervision of his estate, Amaru Entertainment, and without the use of AI. Amaru's voice, era and role had not been announced as of Nov 3, 2026. - [Yu Shinjo](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/yu-shinjo): Yu Shinjo is Makoto Daito's lifelong friend and rival in Stranger Than Heaven, a half-Japanese, half-British young man he meets on the ship to Japan in 1915. He is portrayed by Dean Fujioka. ## Gameplay - [Combat](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/combat): Stranger Than Heaven's combat gives Makoto Daito two independently controlled sides, a left and a right arm and leg, with light attacks on the bumpers, heavy attacks on the triggers, grabs on both triggers, and directional guards, dodges and parries. Everything known comes from SEGA and from previews of pre-release builds, the latest embargoed to Oct 21, 2026. - [Minigames and Side Content](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/minigames-and-side-content): Stranger Than Heaven's minigames shown so far are arm wrestling, dice, cards, beigoma tops, menko cards, mahjong, a shooting gallery and five-finger fillet, plus a fight arena in Kure, a masked killer to hunt, cigarette rolling, side quests, a home base and photography. Each era adds its own activities; all of this comes from pre-release builds. - [Music and Theme Song](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/music-and-theme-song): Stranger Than Heaven's theme song, "Stranger Than Heaven," features Snoop Dogg, Satoshi Fujihara, Ado and Tori Kelly, all of whom also play characters in the game; it is on the Collector's Edition vinyl. The composer of the game's score has not been named as of Nov 3, 2026. - [Previews](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/previews): Stranger Than Heaven has been previewed in a 45-minute combat demo at Summer Game Fest in June 2026, a Gamescom demo in August 2026, and a three-hour hands-on embargoed to Oct 21, 2026, which won over critics such as IGN while PCGamesN still found the group fights clunky. There are no reviews or review scores as of Nov 3, 2026. - [Showbiz](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/showbiz): Showbiz is Stranger Than Heaven's show business system, in which Makoto Daito scouts performers through rumors, records sounds to compose songs, then plans and stages shows (setlist, band, cast, lighting, props, promotion, ticket prices) and runs them as a light rhythm game. It replaces the karaoke and club management of the Like a Dragon games. - [Weapons](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/weapons): Stranger Than Heaven's weapons shown so far are knives, hammers and mallets, katanas, an odachi, wooden clubs, crowbars and guns, each type upgradable with new techniques. The pre-order bonus is the weapon Dosu: Kagekiri, and the Deluxe Edition adds 4 more weapons SEGA has not named. ## Guides - [Beginner's Guide](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/beginners-guide): Early tips for Stranger Than Heaven drawn only from SEGA's explanations and hands-on previews of pre-release builds (Summer Game Fest, June 2026, and the October 2026 three-hour build): learn the directional parry, grab with both triggers, use weapons, roll cigarettes and record sounds for Showbiz. - [Games to Play Before Stranger Than Heaven](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/games-to-play-before-stranger-than-heaven): No game is required before Stranger Than Heaven: RGG Studio calls it a new title with a new hero. For context, Yakuza 0 and the Kiwami remakes show the Tojo Clan and Kamurocho it leads to, and Like a Dragon: Ishin! is RGG's other period piece. ## Launch - [Collector's Edition](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/collectors-edition): The Stranger Than Heaven Collector's Edition is a physical edition with the game, a 12-inch vinyl with the main theme, a SteelBook, the Deluxe Upgrade and pre-order codes and a premium box. It is reported at $129.99 in the US, and Japan and Southeast Asia sell it for PS5 only. - [Editions and Price](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/editions-and-price): Stranger Than Heaven costs $69.99 for the Standard Edition and $89.99 for the Deluxe Edition on Steam, Xbox and PlayStation in the US as of Nov 3, 2026. A physical Collector's Edition is reported at $129.99, and every pre-order gets the weapon Dosu: Kagekiri. - [Game Pass](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/game-pass): Yes, Stranger Than Heaven is on Game Pass from day one, Jan 15, 2027: the Xbox Store lists it for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. It is also an Xbox Play Anywhere title and streams on Xbox Cloud. - [Languages and Age Rating](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/languages-and-age-rating): Stranger Than Heaven has text in 13 languages and full audio in English and Japanese only, with dialogue that mixes the two by design. The ESRB rates it Mature 17+; PEGI and CERO ratings were not confirmed as of Nov 3, 2026. - [PC Requirements](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/pc-requirements): Stranger Than Heaven's PC system requirements have not been published as of Nov 3, 2026. Steam lists only a 64-bit Windows system and "TBD" for the minimum and recommended specs, with full controller support. - [Platforms](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/platforms): Stranger Than Heaven comes out on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam and Xbox on PC), with Xbox Cloud and Play Anywhere, on Jan 15, 2027. There is no PS4 or Xbox One version, and no Switch 2 version has been announced as of Nov 3, 2026. - [Pre-order Bonus](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/pre-order-bonus): Every edition of Stranger Than Heaven pre-ordered before launch comes with the weapon Dosu: Kagekiri, physical or digital. It unlocks as you progress through the game, and the pre-order cutoff falls just before each store's Jan 15, 2027 unlock. - [Release Date and Launch Time](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/release-date-and-launch-time): Stranger Than Heaven comes out on Friday, Jan 15, 2027, worldwide on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. SEGA has not announced a launch hour; store listings point to 05:00 UTC on Jan 15 for Steam and US stores, which is the evening of Jan 14 in the Americas. ## Overview - [Stranger Than Heaven](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/): Stranger Than Heaven is RGG Studio's new action-adventure for SEGA, out Jan 15, 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and day one on Game Pass. It follows Makoto Daito across fifty years and five Japanese cities, from 1915 to 1965, as a brawler and a showman. ## Story and Setting - [Atami 1951](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/atami-1951): Atami in Shizuoka, in 1951, is the fourth era of Stranger Than Heaven, a postwar seaside resort where Makoto Daito meets the American singer Suzy Day. As of Nov 3, 2026 SEGA had shown very little of it. - [Five Eras and Cities](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/five-eras-and-cities): Stranger Than Heaven is set in five cities and eras of Japan: Kokura in 1915, Kure in 1929, Minami in Osaka in 1943, Atami in 1951 and Shinjuku in Tokyo in 1965, after a prologue in San Francisco. Each city is modeled on the real place of its time, with deliberate liberties. - [Kokura 1915](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/kokura-1915): Kokura in Fukuoka, in 1915, is the first city of Stranger Than Heaven, a smoke-filled foundry town where young Makoto Daito runs jobs for the smuggler Orpheus, meets Tae Matsumoto and fights the Oki Clan. It is modeled on the real Kokura beside the Yawata steelworks. - [Kure 1929](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/kure-1929): Kure in Hiroshima, in 1929, is the second era of Stranger Than Heaven, a yakuza-run naval port where Makoto Daito joins the Iwaki Family and becomes known as the "Red Oni." Previews showed it under snow, with a fight arena and a masked killer. - [Minami 1943](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/minami-1943): Minami in Osaka, in 1943, is the third era of Stranger Than Heaven, a wartime entertainment district including Sotenbori where Makoto Daito and Yu Shinjo go into show business and the singer Keiko Shirai, played by Ado, is the star. - [San Francisco 1915](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/san-francisco-1915): Stranger Than Heaven opens in San Francisco in 1915, where the orphaned Makoto Daito, wrongly accused of a crime, flees the police and stows away on a ship to Japan, meeting Yu Shinjo and the smuggler Orpheus on board. The chase doubles as the combat tutorial. - [Shinjuku 1965](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/shinjuku-1965): Shinjuku in Tokyo, in 1965, is the fifth and last era of Stranger Than Heaven, set in Kamurocho, the fictional district of the Like a Dragon games, where Masayoshi Yokoyama says a "tremendous secret" will be revealed. Almost nothing else had been shown as of Nov 3, 2026. - [Story](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/story): Stranger Than Heaven follows Makoto Daito, the son of an American father and a Japanese mother, for fifty years from San Francisco in 1915 to Shinjuku in 1965, as he rises from stowaway to yakuza to showman and founds the Tojo Clan. This page tells the story as SEGA and pre-release previews have shown it, as of Nov 3, 2026. - [Tojo Clan](https://strangerthanheaven.vi.ki/tojo-clan): The Tojo Clan, the yakuza syndicate of the Like a Dragon games, is founded by Makoto Daito in Stranger Than Heaven, as SEGA's May 6, 2026 broadcast showed. RGG Studio still says the game is a new title in the same world, not a series entry.