RedOctane Games, the studio founded last year by music rhythm gaming veterans, hardware innovators and leading creators from the global rhythm gaming community, announced Stage Tour an all-new rhythm music title now in active development.
Delivering a shot of nostalgia to honor the legacy of music games, Stage Tour has been designed to respect the past, while building an evolving experience for the future, designed for a modern gaming audience.
Stage Tour is poised to rekindle the flame of plastic-instrument rhythm gaming with numerous new features and gamemodes, dozens of bandmates and instruments to fit your unique style, a deep competitive spine, and an extensive roadmap of seasonal content and live events.
Stage Tour is not just a game; it’s a long-term platform created in conjunction with the community. A home for music loving gamers, Stage Tour features new instruments, controller and keyboard compatibility and deep gameplay mechanics, with note charts optimized depending on the type of instrument or controller used.
Following the classic gaming recipe of easy to play, hard to master, Stage Tour is highly accessible for newcomers, while delivering an ever-evolving challenge for experienced gamers.
Further gameplay details and the first content reveals are due to be announced in the coming months, and the studio is planning for closed Alpha testing beginning summer 2026. An experienced group of community fans from the rhythm gaming community, are currently actively contributing to help shape and optimize the game leading up to release.
A new era starts here!
RedOctane Games has unveiled its latest trailer for Stage Tour, offering the most revealing look yet at the upcoming 5-fret rhythm game built around music, performance, community, and the shared energy of playing together.
The new Developer Spotlight Trailer gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at a game still actively being built, refined, and shaped with input from the rhythm game community. The studio also confirmed that Stage Tour is officially coming to PC and major consoles, with much more music, gameplay, and platform news planned for later this summer and the road to launch.
Featuring insights from the developers, creators, and collaborators helping shape the project, the trailer highlights the fan-first passion, ambition, and scale behind Stage Tour. The team brings together veteran rhythm game developers, community developers, creators, players, and 5-fret fans who have helped keep the genre alive and evolving, alongside co-development partners Eidos-Montréal and Third Kind Games. The project includes contributors from iconic franchises including Guitar Hero® and DJ Hero® , as well as key members of the core development team behind the community-led rhythm game YARG.
“What makes this team so unique is that we've brought together passionate community developers, creators, players, and veteran rhythm game developers who understand why this genre matters,” said Simon Ebejer, Studio Head at RedOctane Games. “We believe that combination gives us the greatest opportunity to deliver the experience fans have been waiting for.”
Stage Tour is built to bring people together through the power of music, whether players are performing solo, rocking out with friends online, or turning their living room into a virtual concert experience. Inspired by social energy, competition, and unforgettable moments that made rhythm games a worldwide phenomenon, Stage Tour aims to deliver an experience that is accessible, exciting, and rewarding for players of all skill levels.
Players can jump in with guitar, drums, vocals, keyboard, or a standard controller, making it easy for first-time players to join in while giving longtime rhythm game fans the dedicated instrument experience they love.
The new trailer also teased Stage Tour's flagship Campaign Mode, a fresh progression-driven take on the rhythm genre inspired by modern roguelites. Each campaign run will have different setlists, challenges, gameplay modifiers, and branching paths. Picking the right powers and items for your loadout is the key to a successful tour. This mode is built around giving players unique and endlessly replayable experiences.
Alongside Campaign Mode, players will also be able to jump instantly into songs through Quickplay, sharpen their skills with Practice Mode, and test their mastery in Judgements Mode, built for players chasing perfection.
An Early Taste of the Soundtrack
Nothing brings people together like a killer soundtrack, and Stage Tour is turning the volume all the way up. Built to celebrate generations of music fans, the game's officially licensed setlist blends iconic rock anthems with modern global hits spanning rock, metal, alt-rock, pop-punk, and beyond.
Announced today, RedOctane Games revealed the seven songs featured in the game's closed alpha and playable at IGN Live:
- "RATATATA" by Babymetal & Electric Callboy
- "Get the Funk Out" by Extreme
- "Square Hammer" by Ghost
- "Mimi's Delivery Service" by Good Kid
- "Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
- "Terminator Oscillator" by Static-X
- "Island in the Sun" by Weezer
The closed alpha setlist is only an early taste of the broader Stage Tour soundtrack, bringing together artists and songs built to feel great in players' hands, whether someone is chasing a perfect run, playing casually with friends, or discovering a new favorite track.
Additional setlist reveals, gameplay details, and major announcements will be shared later this summer and in the months leading up to launch.
The community continues to help shape Stage Tour, with the RedOctane team actively refining and evolving the gameplay experience based on ongoing feedback. While the game remains a work in progress, the studio confirmed that continued polish and iteration remain a major priority.
Built for the Stage
No rock show is complete without the gear to back it up, and Stage Tour is arriving with a purpose-built hardware lineup led by an official guitar controller created in partnership with Kramer guitars, part of the Gibson family of brands.
For drummers, Stage Tour will launch alongside an official modular drum kit featuring expandable attachments that allow players to build out their setup over time, while vocalists will be able to jump in using both wired and wireless microphone options.
The multi-year partnership between Gibson and RedOctane Games goes far beyond hardware. Iconic instruments from Gibson, Epiphone, and Kramer will be brought to life within Stage Tour, giving players the chance to perform with some of the most legendary guitars in rock history. The experience is further elevated by an officially inspired in-game hub modeled after the world-renowned Gibson Garage Nashville flagship store—an immersive destination in the heart of Music City, USA, designed as a vibrant gathering place where music, creativity, and the energy of live performance come together.
"You're about to enter a world shaped by some of the most iconic guitars of all time," said Mark Agnesi, Gibson Director of Brand Experience. "Not only is it going to be fun, it may just be the spark to get you to pick up your first guitar."
Building on that vision, Stage Tour has been designed to be more than a collection of songs. Whether playing on smaller stages or in massive arenas, players will be able to build and customize their band from a diverse roster of bandmates with distinct personalities, styles, and identities, allowing every band to feel uniquely their own.
Players interested in participating in future testing phases can sign up for updates at stagetour.com.
Key Features:
- BUILD YOUR BAND: Chase the top score by unlocking unique bandmates, each with their own look, attitude, and stage presence. Choose from multiple variants to match your band’s personality, assign members to Lead, Groove, Drums, or Vocals.
- PICK YOUR STYLE: Customize your lineup with official Gibson guitar and bass designs. As you play, your band evolves with you. Mix and match characters to create a lineup that feels uniquely yours, whether rocking solo or jamming with up to four players.
- OWN THE STAGE: Push your skills, master every note, and conquer every challenge. Rise through the ranks to unlock legendary rewards, exclusive content, and permanent bragging rights.
- Stage Tour is built with the community at its core, helping shape its future. Expect detailed feature reveals and deeper breakdowns in the months ahead.
Stage Tour is coming to PC (Steam) and consoles in time for Holiday 2026
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