Coming-of-age online game Mixtape is full of authorized track from artists like Devo and The Smashing Pumpkins, however writer Annapurna Interactive and developer Beethoven and Dinosaur have instructed fanatics to not concern in regards to the sport probably being delisted down the street.
Inventive director Johnny Galvatron stored issues in regards to the sport’s long term from spinning out of keep an eye on right through a contemporary interview with Kotaku. Regardless of that includes a complete playlist of tracks from recognizable teams right through its foot-tapping tale, he mentioned that the crew paid additional to handle licenses for every monitor in perpetuity.
Annapurna adopted up the interview with its personal commentary in an X/Twitter publish. It mentioned, “We heard some other people say MIXTAPE could be delisted because of track licenses expiring. That was once a lie.”
We heard some other people say MIXTAPE could be delisted because of track licenses expiring.
That was once a lie.
Have an excellent weekend, everybody. https://t.co/C3VesfWPpz
— Annapurna Interactive (@A_i) Might 16, 2026
Fears that Mixtape may, someday, be pulled from virtual cabinets are not precisely unfounded. A variety of video games have suffered equivalent fates because of expired licenses prior to now, together with Rock Band 4 past due final 12 months and the unique Alan Wake in 2017. Even Grand Robbery Auto 4 changed a couple of tunes after some licenses expired in 2018.
It is transparent Beethoven and Dinosaur sought after to place within the effort to verify its tale and the track woven right through it remained intact for future years. One instance of a “boundary take a look at” concept that was once floated however did not pan out concerned asking Red Floyd for a tune, however the crew’s manager cautioned that the vintage rock band wasn’t most probably to present them the monitor they have been after. That mentioned, when it got here to getting the opposite tunes they sought after, Galvatron instructed Kotaku the crew by no means bumped into any actual horror tales and were given “just about the entirety [they] requested for.”
“There is simply such a lot of issues within the sport the place Stacy turns the display screen and says ‘That is the Smashing Pumpkins, and it is fucking ill,'” he added. “You ship that to [Smashing Pumpkins frontman] Billy Corgan and he is going, ‘That is the Smashing Pumpkins and it is fucking ill, yeah, they are able to do this. That’s fantastic.'”
Mixtape introduced for PC, Nintendo Transfer 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Collection X | S Might 7, 2026. IGN known as it a “Masterpiece” in our 10/10 evaluate.
“A musical pleasure from begin to end,” we mentioned at release final month, “Mixtape units a brand new usual for coming-of-age tales in video video games and does so with a masterful sense of fashion.”
Michael Cripe is a contract creator with IGN. He is best possible identified for his paintings at websites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure you give him a apply on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
