{"id":33657,"date":"2026-05-07T21:33:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=33657"},"modified":"2026-05-07T21:33:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T21:33:16","slug":"forthcoming-yakuza-prequel-game-showcases-the-image-of-deceased-actor-who-died-12-years-prior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=33657","title":{"rendered":"Forthcoming Yakuza Prequel Game Showcases the Image of Deceased Actor Who Died 12 Years Prior"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/forthcoming-yakuza-prequel-game-showcases-the-image-of-deceased-actor-who-died-12-years-prior.jpg\"><\/div>\n<p>**Xbox and Sega Reveal Information on &#8216;Stranger than Heaven&#8217; Amid Debate Over Bunta Sugawara&#8217;s Image**<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, Xbox and Sega conducted a broadcast to announce new information regarding their forthcoming game, *Stranger than Heaven*, a prequel in the cherished Yakuza series. The presentation featured thrilling insights about the game, yet it has also ignited considerable debate due to RGG Studio&#8217;s choice to utilize the image of the late actor Bunta Sugawara, who died in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>In a news release pertaining to the game, Sega affirmed that Bunta Sugawara would be part of *Stranger than Heaven*. The company declared, \u201cIn STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, the late and iconic actor Bunta Sugawara has a role. SEGA secured official permission from his family, and, with resources provided by Toei Company, Ltd.\u2014which produced a number of Mr. Sugawara\u2019s films, including the *Battles Without Honor and Humanity* series\u2014RGG Studio designed his CG character using archival footage and photographs from that era.\u201d This was accompanied by the announcement that actor Takashi Ukaji would lend his voice to Sugawara\u2019s character, expressing a strong connection to the legendary actor.<\/p>\n<p>Bunta Sugawara is celebrated for his performance in the five-part film saga *Battle Without Honor and Humanity*, which played a key role in shaping the modern yakuza film genre in the 1970s and has greatly impacted the *Like a Dragon* video games. Takashi Ukaji, recognized for his roles in franchises like *Ultraman*, *Kamen Rider*, and *Fist of the North Star*, will be making his video game debut with this character.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, the choice to use the likeness of a deceased person for a video game has sparked ethical concerns. Critics claim this is the first occasion in which RGG Studio has incorporated the likeness of a deceased individual in their titles, igniting discussions about the ramifications of such a decision. Although RGG Studio clarified that generative AI was not employed in crafting Sugawara&#8217;s likeness, many express discomfort regarding the potential commercialization of his legacy. Some believe that if the aim is to pay tribute to Sugawara&#8217;s remarkable career, it would be more fitting to highlight his extensive body of work rather than to depict him posthumously in a commercial venture.<\/p>\n<p>As the launch date for *Stranger than Heaven* draws near, the reaction to Sega and RGG Studio&#8217;s contentious choice remains under examination, emphasizing the fragile balance between honoring a legacy and commodifying it in today&#8217;s entertainment climate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/forthcoming-yakuza-prequel-game-showcases-the-image-of-deceased-actor-who-died-12-years-prior.jpg\"><\/div>\n<p>**Xbox and Sega Reveal Information on &#8216;Stranger than Heaven&#8217; Amid Debate Over Bunta Sugawara&#8217;s Image**<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, Xbox and Sega conducted a broadcast to announce new information regarding their forthcoming game, *Stranger than Heaven*, a prequel in the cherished Yakuza series. The presentation featured thrilling insights about the game, yet it has also ignited considerable debate due to RGG Studio&#8217;s choice to utilize the image of the late actor Bunta Sugawara, who died in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>In a news release pertaining to the game, Sega affirmed that Bunta Sugawara would be part of *Stranger than Heaven*. The company declared, \u201cIn STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, the late and iconic actor Bunta Sugawara has a role. SEGA secured official permission from his family, and, with resources provided by Toei Company, Ltd.\u2014which produced a number of Mr. Sugawara\u2019s films, including the *Battles Without Honor and Humanity* series\u2014RGG Studio designed his CG character using archival footage and photographs from that era.\u201d This was accompanied by the announcement that actor Takashi Ukaji would lend his voice to Sugawara\u2019s character, expressing a strong connection to the legendary actor.<\/p>\n<p>Bunta Sugawara is celebrated for his performance in the five-part film saga *Battle Without Honor and Humanity*, which played a key role in shaping the modern yakuza film genre in the 1970s and has greatly impacted the *Like a Dragon* video games. Takashi Ukaji, recognized for his roles in franchises like *Ultraman*, *Kamen Rider*, and *Fist of the North Star*, will be making his video game debut with this character.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, the choice to use the likeness of a deceased person for a video game has sparked ethical concerns. Critics claim this is the first occasion in which RGG Studio has incorporated the likeness of a deceased individual in their titles, igniting discussions about the ramifications of such a decision. Although RGG Studio clarified that generative AI was not employed in crafting Sugawara&#8217;s likeness, many express discomfort regarding the potential commercialization of his legacy. Some believe that if the aim is to pay tribute to Sugawara&#8217;s remarkable career, it would be more fitting to highlight his extensive body of work rather than to depict him posthumously in a commercial venture.<\/p>\n<p>As the launch date for *Stranger than Heaven* draws near, the reaction to Sega and RGG Studio&#8217;s contentious choice remains under examination, emphasizing the fragile balance between honoring a legacy and commodifying it in today&#8217;s entertainment climate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33658,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33657"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33657\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/33658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}