RedOctane Games, the studio responsible for the iconic Guitar Hero series, has emerged from its forced retirement under Activision and is already working on a spiritual successor to the classic rhythm game. According to a press release, the new RedOctane is “exclusively focused on advancing the rhythm game genre, combining the past with the future”. The company has officially entered production of a new rhythm-based title, with an announcement scheduled for later this year.
Guitar Riff!
The co-founders of RedOctane, Charles and Kai Huang, have taken an active role in a special advisory board for this new project, which is led by Simon Ebejer, former production director on multiple Guitar Hero titles. In a message to fans, the developers specified that the new game will not be a continuation of Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, or Rock Band, but rather a completely new experience focused on the community.
The development line of Guitar Hero is complex, as after the purchase of RedOctane by Activision, the studio was closed in 2010 due to “market fatigue” in the rhythm game genre. Although Guitar Hero Live had a brief comeback in 2015, the legacy of the series has endured through fan projects and events like the Fortnite Festival, where compatible guitar controllers have been used. The new RedOctane seems to be taking this community spirit into account, highlighting the importance of a new generation of talent in video game development.
With the return of RedOctane and a new vision for rhythm games, many players who enjoyed Guitar Hero are filled with hope for a possible revival of the franchise in the modern era. However, it remains to be seen whether expectations will be met and if the new project will manage to capture the magic that made Guitar Hero a revolution in its time.