Guitar Hero was once a cultural phenomenon, but its disappearance left a gap that never quite got filled. Over the years, fans have held out hope for a revival, but Activision has mostly left the series behind. Now, some of the original creators are stepping back into the spotlight—not to bring the title back, but to create something new that builds on its legacy.
RedOctane Games isn’t reviving Guitar Hero, it’s moving the genre forward
Just a few hours ago, a group of developers who helped shape Guitar Hero and DJ Hero announced the launch of RedOctane Games, a new studio dedicated entirely to rhythm games.
According to the official statement, leading the group is Simon Ebejer, a longtime producer who worked at Neversoft, Vicarious Visions, and Blizzard.
The team also includes familiar names from the rhythm game scene, with Charles and Kai Huang, who co-founded the original RedOctane label and helped launch Guitar Hero back in 2005, among the advisors.
“Rhythm games are about more than just gameplay they’re about feel, flow, and connection to the music and to each other,” Ebejer said in the announcement. “RedOctane Games is our way of giving back to a genre that means so much to us, while pushing it forward in new and exciting directions.”
A new rhythm game, shaped by the community
While the studio is keeping their debut game under wraps for now, they expect to unveil it before the end of the year, and the developers stressed that it’s not simply a revamped version of their earlier work.
“This game won’t be Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, Guitar Freaks or Rockband. This is something new. A rhythm game built with love, by people who care, with the community at its core in this fast-changing modern world we live in.”
Earlier this year, Activision tried to bring back Guitar Hero with a mobile release. The effort fell short, drawing criticism for its limited scope and heavy use of AI-generated art, which disappointed many longtime fans. The contrast between these two efforts highlights how much the rhythm genre has changed, and why a new approach, like RedOctane’s, might be exactly what it needs.
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