Coming-of-age online game Mixtape is full of licensed music from artists like Devo and The Smashing Pumpkins, however writer Annapurna Interactive and developer Beethoven and Dinosaur have informed followers not to fear in regards to the recreation doubtlessly being delisted down the street.
Inventive director Johnny Galvatron saved issues in regards to the recreation’s future from spinning uncontrolled throughout a latest interview with Kotaku. Regardless of that includes a full playlist of tracks from recognizable teams all through its foot-tapping story, he stated that the group paid further to preserve licenses for every monitor in perpetuity.
Annapurna adopted up the interview with its personal assertion in an X/Twitter post. It stated, “We heard some folks say MIXTAPE can be delisted due to music licenses expiring. That was a lie.”
We heard some folks say MIXTAPE can be delisted due to music licenses expiring.
That was a lie.
Have an incredible weekend, everybody. https://t.co/C3VesfWPpz
— Annapurna Interactive (@A_i) May 16, 2026
Fears that Mixtape might, sooner or later, be pulled from digital cabinets aren’t precisely unfounded. Loads of video games have suffered comparable fates due to expired licenses previously, together with Rock Band 4 late final 12 months and the unique Alan Wake in 2017. Even Grand Theft Auto 4 changed a couple of tunes after some licenses expired in 2018.
It is clear Beethoven and Dinosaur needed to put within the effort to ensure that its story and the music woven all through it remained intact for years to come. One instance of a “boundary take a look at” concept that was floated however did not pan out concerned asking Pink Floyd for a tune, however the group’s supervisor cautioned that the traditional rock band wasn’t possible to give them the monitor they have been after. That stated, when it got here to getting the opposite tunes they needed, Galvatron informed Kotaku the group by no means bumped into any actual horror tales and obtained “just about every thing [they] requested for.”
“There’s simply so many factors within the recreation the place Stacy turns the display screen and says ‘That is the Smashing Pumpkins, and it is fucking sick,'” he added. “You ship that to [Smashing Pumpkins frontman] Billy Corgan and he goes, ‘That is the Smashing Pumpkins and it is fucking sick, yeah, they’ll try this. That’s wonderful.'”
Mixtape launched for PC, Nintendo Change 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Collection X | S Might 7, 2026. IGN referred to as it a “Masterpiece” in our 10/10 evaluate.
“A musical delight from begin to end,” we stated at launch final month, “Mixtape units a brand new commonplace for coming-of-age tales in video video games and does so with a masterful sense of fashion.”
Michael Cripe is a contract author with IGN. He is greatest recognized for his work at websites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be positive to give him a comply with on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).