Guitar Hero veterans form rhythm game development studio RedOctane Games
The studio’s first title will be revealed later in 2025
Veterans of the rhythm game genre have established a new development studio called RedOctane Games.
According to today’s announcement, the “small” studio plays home to “creators and developers who helped create and scale Guitar Hero and DJ Hero nearly two decades ago, as well as proven emerging development talent and community leaders from across today’s rhythm gaming space”.
RedOctane is currently developing a range of rhythm-based experiences, with its first title scheduled to be revealed later this year.
It describes itself as a company “within” Embracer Group‘s Freemode, which offers support and guidance to independently operated businesses.
The studio is headed up by Simon Ebejer, who was production director on several Guitar Hero titles at Neversoft, and later served as studio head at Vicarious Visions and VP of operations at Blizzard.
RedOctane was the publisher of the original Guitar Hero and the PS2 version of Guitar Hero 2, before becoming an Activision subsidiary when the Call of Duy maker acquired the franchise for $100 million.
Activision closed RedOctane, which was co-founded by Kai Huang and Charles Huang, in 2010. The Huang brothers are to join a special advisory board for the new RedOctane.
“Rhythm games are about more than just gameplay they’re about feel, flow, and connection to the music and to each other,” said studio head Ebejer. “RedOctane Games is our way of giving back to a genre that means so much to us, while pushing it forward in new and exciting directions.”
