Stage Tour Implores You to Play Your Way This December

Prior to the announcement of Stage Tour from RedOctane Games (which includes developers from the original RedOctane team, community members, former Neversoft and Harmonix developers, and others), the state of rhythm action games was pretty much dead on consoles. With Epic Games owning former Rock Band developer Harmonix and Microsoft doing nothing with the Guitar Hero IP so far, the opening was certainly there for someone to come in and fill the void left by the genre’s two former behemoths.

During Gamescom Opening Night Live, Stage Tour revealed its release date trailer, set to Mötley Crüe’s “Kickstart My Heart,” one of 90 songs available on the launch setlist, which spans over six decades of licensed music. Undoubtedly, the music itself is of the utmost importance to any rhythm game, but equally important is how you play that music. While plastic instruments, both new and old, are available for nostalgic players, they’re not required. The developers at RedOctane Games have made Stage Tour appealing to anyone who just enjoys good tunes by allowing the game to be played with a regular controller or even a PC keyboard. This truly makes it about playing your way.

Stage Tour: Hardware or No Hardware, You Decide

Releasing on December 10, 2026, Stage Tour delivers a full experience regardless of how invested, or in my case, reinvested, in the genre you’d like to become. The game can be purchased by itself for $39.99 (USD) on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, and played entirely with a regular controller on consoles or a keyboard on PC. The controller even features two different gameplay styles, with four- and five-lane button combinations allowing players to enjoy the best parts of any song without needing an instrument. There’s also button and key remapping, giving players complete control over how they want to hit those notes.

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However, for those who wish to relive their favorite plastic instrument memories, that entire experience is also available. Stage Tour offers a completely new line of instruments, with the least expensive bundle coming in at $129 (USD), which includes the game and one guitar. There’s also a two-guitar option for $199 (USD), along with an all-in-one bundle for $299 (USD) that includes a wired microphone, drums, a kick pedal, drumsticks, one guitar, and the game. Finally, there’s the all-in-one bundle with extras for $349 (USD), which includes everything in the aforementioned bundle, except the microphone is wireless, and it comes with an extra kick pedal for double bass drumming and a three-cymbal kit.

This doesn’t even account for the additional guitars, with one modeled after the Les Paul and another after the classic Explorer from Guitar Hero II. Shortly after launch, those with electronic drum kits, or e-kits, at home will also be able to play using a MIDI adapter developed for the game. Stage Tour supports legacy hardware from the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 generations onward, with even older wired or wireless hardware supported on PC. You can check the hardware compatibility chart to see whether your existing instruments will work. Consoles won’t require a dongle to use older instruments, but wireless PC instruments will require one.

What’s There Beyond the Songs?

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Of course, most of what you’ll be doing in Stage Tour is playing songs from the setlist in various ways, but similar to sports titles, what can set these games apart are their modes and unlockables.

As you’d expect, there’s the typical Quickplay mode, where you pick a song or a list of songs and play through them. There’s also a Practice mode for improving your skills and a Karaoke mode for the vocalists out there.

The main attraction in Stage Tour, however, is Tour Mode. Unlike the tour modes of the past, this one promises a unique experience each time because it’s a roguelite. Each run will feature its own songs and challenges instead of simply repeating the same set of songs built around a specific stage. The developers have promised a deeper look at Tour Mode before launch, but they’ve already hinted at choosing loadouts with items and unlockables.

Throughout Tour Mode, players will visit various stages as they rise through the ranks, and as their band gains popularity, the stages should become grander. As is typical in these games, you’ll have to select an avatar for yourself, and Stage Tour features 50 bandmates to unlock, each with their own skins and attire. Perhaps the coolest unlockables, however, are the more than 180 historic guitars from Gibson, Kramer, and Epiphone, all of which can be viewed in a garage when you’re not on stage.

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Is There Anything Planned for Stage Tour Post-Launch?

Another element that makes Stage Tour different from its predecessors is that it’s launching as a platform rather than a numbered game or part of a larger series. The idea is to continually expand the game after launch with additional modes, DLC songs, and perhaps even more instruments. It looks like the team wants to reward those who decide to invest early by providing not just more music to play, but more ways to play it. This approach would allow RedOctane Games to continue building upon and improving the foundation that’s already there.

Looking Forward to December

As someone who still straps on a plastic guitar every few weeks to play songs with my teenage daughter, it saddens me to see what’s happened to the games that made me fall in love with the genre nearly 20 years ago, when Rock Band first released in 2007. Epic technically still offers the basics of that experience through Fortnite Festival, while games like Clone Hero recreate much of what made the originals so enjoyable. Unfortunately, Clone Hero is largely confined to PC, leaving console players with fewer options.

What gives me hope for Stage Tour is that not only does the development team understand what made those games great, but they also don’t appear to be under the illusion, or pressure, that they have to lead a full-blown revival of the genre to be considered successful. That’s the kind of expectation a new Guitar Hero or Rock Band game would likely face. Instead, can they simply plant a flag, let gamers know they exist, and gradually build an audience as they expand the platform?

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Their approach of releasing the game on multiple platforms and allowing players to “play your way,” with or without instruments, is a solid one. It means just about anyone can pick up the game and enjoy it immediately, then decide whether to invest further based on how much they like the experience. Throw in a Tour Mode that promises something different with each playthrough, and Stage Tour certainly has a chance to be a hit when it releases on December 10, 2026.

rock band guitar hero Rhythm Game Stage Tour RedOctane Games