RedOctane Games, the studio behind the original Guitar Hero, has unveiled Stage Tour, its first new music game since relaunching under Embracer Freemode. The studio, which was shuttered by Activision in 2010, aims to recapture the rhythm game magic with a title that supports guitar, drums, microphone, and keyboard/mouse inputs.

Unlike traditional music games with fixed tracklists and DLC, Stage Tour will feature regular special events inspired by Fortnite's live service model. The game will launch digitally with optional hardware bundles including guitar controllers, leveraging Embracer's ownership of CRKD, a rhythm game accessory maker. Development involves Eidos Montréal for motion capture and QA, with Third Kind Games providing additional support.

Alpha testing is scheduled for late spring/early summer, with the full launch planned for later this year. While rhythm games peaked years ago, Stage Tour enters a market where players still seek experiences like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival. The game's live service approach and hardware integration could position it as a compelling third option in the modern rhythm game landscape.