Guitar Hero vets RedOctane reveal their new music game

Source: Engadget

Overview

RedOctane Games, a relaunched version of one of the studios behind the very first Guitar Hero, has shared a first trailer for its new music game, Stage Tour. The original RedOctane was shut down by Activision in 2010 and was reformed under Embracer Freemode in August 2025 to create a new music‑game franchise.

Gameplay

Stage Tour can be played solo or with other players in a band. It supports inputs from a keyboard and mouse in addition to the expected guitar, drums, and microphone accessories. The studio plans to primarily offer the game digitally, but also hopes to sell a bundle that includes a guitar controller and a download code, because “that just feels right.”

Ongoing Support

Rather than a static tracklist with occasional DLC, RedOctane is aiming for an approach similar to Epic’s regular updates to Fortnite. The plan includes:

• Regular special events that are more than just music drops
• Real moments, real themes, real updates
• Continuous evolution of the game alongside its community

Development

RedOctave and Harmonix created the first Guitar Hero in 2006. After RedOctane was acquired by Activision that same year, Harmonix went on to start the Rock Band series. Development of Stage Tour is currently led by RedOctane, with:

• Eidos Montréal handling motion capture and QA
• Third Kind Games providing additional development support

Embracer Freemode also owns CRKD, a video‑game accessory maker experienced in building controllers for rhythm games.

Release Plans

Sign‑ups to play an alpha of Stage Tour will open soon, with a closed‑alpha test slated for late spring/early summer. Although the peak popularity of games like Guitar Hero has passed, rhythm and music games remain active. Players have turned to titles such as Clone Hero and events like Fortnite Festival for their music‑game fix, and Stage Tour could become a welcome third option when it launches later this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/guitar-hero-vets-redoctane-reveal-their-new-music-game-220809719.html?src=rss.