Guitar Hero creators reuniting for new rhythm game

A number of veteran Guitar Hero developers and even the founders of the franchise are teaming up to create a brand new rhythm game 20 years later.

Guitar Hero was once a cultural phenomenon. Every year it felt like a new spinoff was on store shelves as numbered entries alternated with band-specific titles like Guitar Hero Metallica or The Beatles.

Those plastic guitars were everywhere as millions of fans around the globe bought in. But suddenly, it all stopped. The last Guitar Hero game released in 2015 and since then, the rhythm game genre has been left in the rearview mirror, for the most part. We’ve had excellent newcomers like Beat Saber, but few with real physical instruments to hold.

Well now, a number of original Guitar Hero developers, with advisement from the series founders, are teaming back up under a new label. RedOctane Games is a brand new studio with the focus on “advancing the rhythm game genre.”

Guitar Hero creators team up for brand new rhythm game

The RedOctane Games team consists of a number of former Guitar Hero and DJ Hero developers, as the website outlines. Those include former Guitar Hero Production Director Simon Ebejer, as well as franchise founders Charles and Kai Huang in an advisory role.

Before an actual game was ever in the cards, a handful of team members began prototyping new hardware. What would a new rhythm game controller look like in 2025?

After the release of Fortnite Festival, one such prototype was even shared with Epic Games, but ultimately, the team continued pursuing its own path. Now, they’re finally ready to tackle a full-fledged gaming project, though they’ve advised it might not look and feel exactly like the classics.

“We’re not just making games, we’re creating connected rhythm experiences that unite cutting-edge controllers, genre-defining titles, and a thriving community,” an August 6 blog post reads.

“This game won’t be Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, Guitar Freaks or Rock Band. This is something new.”

Exactly what that looks like, who’s to say? But in the era of live service games, you have to imagine it means a more online-friendly experience, with new music released at a regular cadence.

There’s no quite telling when we might see this new rhythm game in action as early development is clearly only just getting underway. But it’s sure to generate plenty of buzz in the lead-up to launch as the rhythm game genre comes back into focus.