RedOctane's 'next evolution' looks a lot like 2007's Rock Band

RedOctane was a major name in rhythm games in the early 2000s, peaking in 2005 as the publisher of Guitar Hero before Activision bought the company in 2006 and closed it in 2010. Embracer revived the brand in 2025 as RedOctane Games, promising what it called "the next evolution in rhythm gaming." The newly revealed title, Stage Tour, doesn't present itself as Guitar Hero—yet visually and in scope it lands closer to Rock Band, the band-focused series Harmonix developed after splitting from RedOctane following the Activision buyout.

Harmonix worked on the first Guitar Hero entries while RedOctane handled publishing and the guitar-shaped controllers; Rock Band added drums and expanded the multiplayer band setup.

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