New Guitar Hero Successor Announced (And It’s Out This Year)

A new successor to the Guitar Hero series has been announced, and it’s coming out later in 2026. This past year, RedOctane, which is the studio that originally created Guitar Hero, announced that it was back in the form of RedOctane Games. As part of this revival, the company revealed that it was already in the process of working on a new rhythm game, but didn’t share many other details. Now, we finally have more info on this project, and it seems to be exactly what Guitar Hero fans have been clamoring for.

Revealed with an initial trailer, RedOctane showed off Stage Tour for the first time. Like Guitar Hero, Stage Tour will see players playing various songs by way of a plastic guitar controller. It has the same five-button layout as the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises and is said to also feature “numerous new features and game modes, dozens of bandmates and instruments to fit your unique style, a deep competitive spine, and an extensive roadmap of seasonal content and live events.” While the guitar controller is front and center in this initial trailer, RedOctane has confirmed that other instruments will be playable as well.

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In terms of its release, RedOctane says that Stage Tour is on track to launch this fall. It also already has a variety of new controller options lined up to release in tandem with the game. While Stage Tour will be available digitally across various storefronts, RedOctane says that it’s also planning a guitar and game bundle as well. A drum controller is in the works, too, as are new wireless microphones.

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Long term, RedOctane says it plans to support Stage Tour for years to come and never intends to release a sequel. This will result in new content coming to the game frequently as it looks to build Stage Tour alongside its community. Time will tell if this strategy works out, but it’s one that developer Harmonix implemented to great success with Rock Band 3 and Rock Band 4.

For now, an exact release date and platforms have yet to be confirmed for Stage Tour. More details are promised to be coming in the months ahead, at which point RedOctane will shed more light on the game’s initial tracklist.

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