It's been more than a decade since the last Guitar Hero game, and while the rhythm genre is enjoying a late revival with the likes of Beat Saber and Fortnite Festival, nothing quite captures the feeling of jamming out on plastic instruments like RedOctane and Harmonix's crowning jewel.
Still with a clear thirst for the five-note highway, there's no sign of Guitar Hero … except for an AI mobile game. Thankfully, the band is getting back together, as the veteran devs reopened RedOctane after ten years in 2025 with the goal of “bringing rhythm gaming back” and as reported by VGC, the team has finally released a trailer for its spiritual successor – Stage Tour.
Like the studio's defining modern classic, Stage Tour is a rhythm game where you turn your bedroom into a Metallica concert with tailor-made instrument peripherals, AKA controllers that look like guitars, microphones and drums, all of which will be familiar to anyone who dabbled in Guitar 2001.
And, as Guitar Hero, you can play a stage tour with your friends and family, giving each member of the band not just a lead, groove, drum or vocal role, but a look that fits your team's aesthetic and personality.
The real hook of a rhythm game like this, of course, is mastering each track, axing each note and racing for the highest score. Stage Tour wholeheartedly encourages that competitive spirit with “Legendary Awards” and “Exclusive Content” earned by completing challenges and rising through the ranks, but the team also has plans to go beyond its roots.
In addition to the usual Guitar Hero experience you've come to expect from RedOctane, the studio offers “new features and gamemodes, dozens of bandmates and instruments to suit your unique style, a deep competitive backbone, and an extensive roadmap of seasonal content and live events.”
Stage Tour is our love letter to rhythm gaming. We want Stage Tour to feel familiar and authentic, but also fresh, using modern technology to connect gamers to the music they love and enjoy a platform that evolves and grows over time — studio head Simon Ebezer.
RedOctane's hotly-anticipated spiritual successor will launch later this year during the holiday season, with a closed alpha earlier in the summer, drawing from “a veteran group of community fans from the rhythm gaming community.”
“Stage Tour is built with the community at its core, helping to shape its future. Expect detailed feature reveals and in-depth breakdowns in the coming months.”
- issued
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November 1, 2005
- ESRB
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t // light song
- developer(s)
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harmonics
- publisher(s)
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RedOctane
- Multiplayer
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Local multiplayer
