Mixtape publisher Annapurna Interactive has laid out in no uncertain terms that no, Mixtape will not be delisted “due to music licenses expiring”.
Talking to Kotaku, creative director Johnny Galvatron confirmed that, unlike other games like Guitar Hero that use licensed music and later had to remove them or be delisted entirely, Beethoven and Dinosaur paid “extra” to keep “Mixtape’s licenses up in perpetuity”.
Then, just to make sure there was no misunderstanding, the publisher stressed on X/Twitter: “We heard some people say Mixtape would be delisted due to music licenses expiring. That was a lie. Have a great weekend, everyone.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Galvatron talked about the risk of “hat[ing all the songs] by the end” of the game’s production cycle, but that turned out to be a unnecessary fear.
“My biggest hesitation was like, ‘if I make a game with all of my favourite songs, is it gonna be like starting a business with my friends? Am I gonna hate everything by the end?’ And no, I don’t,” Galvatron added.
“I still get a buzz listening to it and starting the game and seeing Devo play and these characters come out.”
We thought Mixtape was “a delight”, writing in Eurogamer’s four out of five stars Mixtape review: “It’s a celebration of teenage life that makes its point, aptly, just as a teenager would”.