Stage Tour Guide

Stage Tour Guide / New Guitar Hero

Is There a New Guitar Hero?

No new Guitar Hero has come out since Guitar Hero Live in 2015, and Activision (owned by Microsoft since 2023) has not announced one. The closest thing is Stage Tour: a new band game from RedOctane Games, named after the company that published the first Guitar Hero and built its guitar. It comes out on December 10, 2026 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2.

No new Guitar Hero since 2015, and none announced. The closest thing is Stage Tour, out December 10, 2026.

See the 69 confirmed songsWill my old Guitar Hero guitar work?

Checked against official sources on November 12, 2026.

From Guitar Hero to Stage Tour

  • 2005Guitar HeroReleased for PlayStation 2 in November 2005: developed by Harmonix, published by RedOctane, which also built the guitar controller.
  • 2006Activision buys RedOctaneActivision completes the purchase of RedOctane in June 2006, for about US$100 million. Harmonix is bought by MTV and goes on to make Rock Band (2007).
  • 2007Neversoft takes overGuitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, by Activision's Neversoft, becomes the first single video game to pass US$1 billion at retail.
  • 2008The full bandGuitar Hero World Tour adds drums and vocals.
  • 2009Peak and burnoutActivision ships 25 Guitar Hero products in one year, including Guitar Hero 5, Band Hero, DJ Hero and Guitar Hero: Van Halen.
  • 2010RedOctane closesActivision shuts the RedOctane division in February. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (September) is Neversoft's last Guitar Hero.
  • 2011Series on holdIn February 2011 Activision disbands its Guitar Hero business unit and cancels that year's game, citing declines in the music genre.
  • 2015Guitar Hero LiveFreeStyleGames reboots the series in October 2015 with a new six-button guitar and the GHTV music video service. Old guitars and songs do not carry over.
  • 2018GHTV shuts downOn December 1, 2018 Activision closes GHTV, cutting Guitar Hero Live from almost 500 playable songs to the 42 on the disc. It is the last Guitar Hero game.
  • 2023Microsoft owns Guitar HeroMicrosoft completes its purchase of Activision Blizzard in October 2023. In December, Harmonix (now part of Epic Games) launches Fortnite Festival.
  • 2025A test, not a gameIn March 2025 Activision runs ads for a "Guitar Hero Mobile" that leads to a survey: it was market research, not a real game. In August, RedOctane Games is announced as a new rhythm game studio.
  • 2026Stage TourRedOctane Games announces Stage Tour on February 26, 2026. It comes out on December 10, 2026 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2.

Guitar Hero sold more than 25 million units and US$2 billion at retail; Guitar Hero III was the first single video game to pass US$1 billion.

Who makes Stage Tour

RedOctane Games is a new studio in Livermore, California, owned by Fellowship Entertainment (formerly Embracer Group). It is led by Simon Ebejer, a production director on several Guitar Hero games at Neversoft and later head of Vicarious Visions, with original RedOctane founders Kai and Charles Huang as advisers. Third Kind Games, whose developers worked on DJ Hero and Guitar Hero Live, and Eidos-Montréal support development.

So Stage Tour is not a Guitar Hero game: Activision still owns that name. It is a new game by people who made Guitar Hero, and it plays the same way.

“It will not be called Guitar Hero. It will have its own name.”

Lee Guinchard, Fellowship Entertainment, to GamesBeat in August 2025

Guitar Hero and Stage Tour compared

Guitar Hero (2005–2015)Stage Tour (2026)
Made byHarmonix, then Neversoft, Vicarious Visions and FreeStyleGames, for Activision (now Microsoft)RedOctane Games, with original RedOctane founders as advisers
Latest gameGuitar Hero Live, 2015Stage Tour, December 10, 2026
PlatformsPS2 to PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, Wii, Wii U, PC and mobile across the seriesPC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
InstrumentsGuitar; drums and microphone from World Tour (2008); a six-button guitar in Guitar Hero LiveGuitar for Lead and Groove, drums with optional cymbals and second kick pedal, microphone, or a normal gamepad or keyboard
SongsOn-disc setlists plus downloadable songs; DLC sales and GHTV have ended69 songs confirmed so far, 90+ at launch, more as DLC
Old guitarsEach guitar works on one console family; Guitar Hero Live needed its new six-button guitarOn PC, more than 50 guitars and 20 drum kits back to 2006; consoles list recent instruments only
OnlinePS3 and Wii servers closed in 2020; online play survives on Xbox 360 onlyUp to four players online, with crossplay on all platforms

What to play now

GameStatusWhat it is
Stage TourOut December 10, 2026The closest thing to a new Guitar Hero: full band, new instruments, $39.99 for the game. See the setlist
Fortnite FestivalFree, out nowHarmonix's rhythm mode inside Fortnite. Guitar controllers such as the PDP Riffmaster work since April 2024; songs are bought with V-Bucks.
Rock Band 4Out now, no new songsStill playable on PS4, Xbox One and newer consoles. Harmonix released the last weekly DLC on January 25, 2024, after nearly 3,000 songs.
Sound SystemPC Early Access, not out yetA rhythm game from Echo Foundry Interactive, made by Guitar Hero and Rock Band veterans. Early Access on Steam was set for November 4, 2026 at $24.99; on November 12 the Steam page still says coming soon.
Clone HeroFree, fan-madeA free Guitar Hero-style game for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. Works with almost any five- or six-fret guitar; you add songs yourself.
YARGFree, open sourceYet Another Rhythm Game: guitar, bass, drums, keys and vocals, with over 100 licensed songs of its own.

Stage Tour guitars also work in Fortnite Festival, Rock Band 4, Clone Hero and YARG. Which games, on which platform.

Questions

Is Activision making a new Guitar Hero?

Not that it has announced. The last game was Guitar Hero Live in 2015. In March 2025 Activision ran ads for a “Guitar Hero Mobile”, but they led to a survey: it was testing interest, and no such game exists.

Is Stage Tour made by the Guitar Hero developers?

Partly. The studio head was a production director on several Guitar Hero games at Neversoft, the original RedOctane founders are advisers, and Third Kind Games includes developers of DJ Hero and Guitar Hero Live. Harmonix, which made the first two Guitar Hero games, now works on Fortnite Festival at Epic Games.

Will my old Guitar Hero guitar work with Stage Tour?

On PC, most Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitars back to 2006 are listed, some with their dongle. On PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2 only recent instruments are listed, and Guitar Hero Live guitars are not listed anywhere yet. Check your model.

Can I play my Guitar Hero songs in Stage Tour?

No import has been announced. Stage Tour has its own setlist of licensed songs: 69 confirmed so far and 90+ at launch, with more planned as DLC. See the setlist.

How much is Stage Tour?

$39.99 for the digital game, or $35.99 pre-order on Steam, Epic and Xbox. Bundles with the Kramer guitar start at $129.99. Prices and bundles.

Activision has not announced a new Guitar Hero. If you want to play the same way this year, Stage Tour is the game to watch.

See the 69 confirmed songsPrices and bundles

Sources: Wikipedia: Guitar Hero · Wikipedia: RedOctane · Wikipedia: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard · GamesBeat interview, Aug 2025 · Guitar Hero Mobile test ads (Time Extension) · Wikipedia: Stage Tour · Wikipedia: Fortnite Festival · Rock Band 4 DLC ends (VGC) · Sound System Early Access date (Gematsu) · Sound System on Steam · Clone Hero · YARG · Stage Tour hardware compatibility