Coming-of-age online game Mixtape is filled with licensed music from artists like Devo and The Smashing Pumpkins, however writer Annapurna Interactive and developer Beethoven and Dinosaur have advised followers to not fear concerning the sport probably being delisted down the street.
Artistic director Johnny Galvatron stored issues concerning the sport’s future from spinning uncontrolled throughout a current 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 crew paid further to keep up licenses for every monitor in perpetuity.
Annapurna adopted up the interview with its personal assertion in an X/Twitter publish. It stated, “We heard some individuals say MIXTAPE can be delisted as a result of music licenses expiring. That was a lie.”
We heard some individuals say MIXTAPE can be delisted as a result of music licenses expiring.
That was a lie.
Have a terrific weekend, everybody. https://t.co/C3VesfWPpz
— Annapurna Interactive (@A_i) Could 16, 2026
Fears that Mixtape may, sooner or later, be pulled from digital cabinets aren’t precisely unfounded. Loads of video games have suffered related fates as a result of expired licenses prior to now, together with Rock Band 4 late final yr and the unique Alan Wake in 2017. Even Grand Theft Auto 4 changed just a few tunes after some licenses expired in 2018.
It is clear Beethoven and Dinosaur needed to place within the effort to ensure its story and the music woven all through it remained intact for years to come back. One instance of a “boundary check” concept that was floated however did not pan out concerned asking Pink Floyd for a tune, however the crew’s supervisor cautioned that the basic rock band wasn’t probably to present them the monitor they have been after. That stated, when it got here to getting the opposite tunes they needed, Galvatron advised Kotaku the crew 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 sport 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 will do this. That’s superb.'”
Mixtape launched for PC, Nintendo Swap 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Collection X | S Could 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 customary for coming-of-age tales in video video games and does so with a masterful sense of favor.”
Michael Cripe is a contract author with IGN. He is finest recognized for his work at websites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Make sure to give him a comply with on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
