RedOctane Reveals 'Stage Tour,' a New 'Guitar Hero' Successor
The revived studio returns with a full-band rhythm platform, fresh plastic instruments and a live-service roadmap for dedicated players.
Summary
- RedOctane Games, the relaunched Guitar Hero studio, has unveiled Stage Tour, a new plastic-instrument rhythm game targeting a Fall 2026 launch on PC and consoles
- Stage Tour supports guitar, drums, vocals and additional inputs like keyboard, mouse and gamepad, with new Kramer-style guitar, drum kit and microphone hardware planned alongside the game
- The game is built as a long-term live platform with seasonal events, deep competitive systems and community-driven development, including a closed alpha playtest planned for summer 2026
Stage Tour marks the official comeback of RedOctane, the Guitar Hero veterans now operating under Embracer Freemode and determined to restart the plastic-instrument era on their own terms. Revealed during IGN Fan Fest 2026, the game leans into classic five-fret note highways and full-band setups, but pairs them with motion-captured performances from Eidos Montréal and modern live-service thinking instead of an endless sequel cycle.
Players will be able to run full bands across lead guitar, drums, vocals and a Groove lane, or keep it simple with mouse, keyboard or standard controllers. RedOctane is lining up a new Kramer-inspired guitar bundle, a fresh drum controller and wired and wireless mics, while also confirming flexible input support and plans for release across PC and a wide range of consoles. An exact platform list and tracklist are still under wraps.
Rather than chasing annual releases, RedOctane is positioning Stage Tour as a single evolving hub for rhythm diehards and newcomers. The studio is promising regular in-game events, seasonal content drops and a deep competitive backbone, with charting systems that react to both difficulty and instrument type. A closed alpha is scheduled to kick off in late spring or early summer 2026, giving the tightly knit rhythm community a chance to stress-test the systems before the game’s Fall 2026 launch window.
