Guitar Hero studio RedOctane returns with spiritual successor Stage Tour
The reformed studio promises “a new era for music rhythm gaming”
The newly reformed RedOctane Games has revealed its upcoming spiritual successor to Guitar Hero.
It was announced last August that RedOctane, the company responsible for producing the Guitar Hero games, had returned as a new studio called RedOctane Games, with veterans from the rhythm game industry joining the team.
Now the studio has revealed Stage Tour, a new music title currently “in active development”, with plans to release by the 2026 holiday season.
According to the studio, Stage Tour will be a “long-term platform created in conjunction with the community”, and will continue to evolve following its release.
It will feature new instruments, as well as controller and keyboard compatibility for those who don’t want to buy the instrument peripherals.
A multi-year partnership with Gibson has also been announced, with the Gibson, Epiphone and Kramer brands set to be integrated into the game.
“Stage Tour is our love letter to rhythm gaming,” RedOctane Games head of studio Simon Ebejer said in a statement. “We want Stage Tour to feel familiar and authentic, but also fresh, utilizing modern technology to connect gamers with the music they love and enjoying a platform that evolves and grows over time.
“With new instruments and deep charting systems, we’re raising the bar on what we believe a rhythm game can be, while also catering to those wishing to simply enjoy a casual experience and have a good time.”
Closed alpha testing for Stage Tour will begin this summer, with an “experienced group of community fans from the rhythm gaming community” providing feedback during the game’s development.
