The final days of February brought some spectacular news for those who grew up playing Guitar Hero and have been yearning for something new to fill the void that the franchise has left behind for the last decade. RedOctane Games, the publisher of the Guitar Hero series, has recently announced that a new rhythm game called Stage Tour will be released for PC and consoles in the fall of 2026. This title hearkens back to the 2000s popularity for rock and metal based rhythm games using instruments as controllers. The most recent Guitar Hero game came out in 2015, over ten years ago. Simon Ebejer, the head of studio for RedOctane Game, had this to say in a press release about the upcoming game:
“Stage Tour is our love letter to rhythm gaming. We want Stage Tour to feel familiar and authentic, but also fresh, utilizing modern technology to connect gamers with the music they love and enjoying a platform that evolves and grows over time. With new instruments and deep charting systems, we’re raising the bar on what we believe a rhythm game can be, while also catering to those wishing to simply enjoy a casual experience and have a good time.”
With the rise in nostalgia for the 2000's gaining popularity in the 2020's, many people reminisce on their childhood where they spent hours upon hours mastering numerous rock anthems on their plastic guitar controller, pretending they were Dimebag Darrell or Tom Morello. It was also a great medium for discovering new music if you hadn't already grown up listening to rock or metal. Of course, the games included the biggest names in rock such as Black Sabbath, Metallica, Slayer, Guns N' Roses, and Pantera, but a multitude of sub-genres were represented across the series. Nu metal and nu metal-adjacent bands were not at all underrepresented. Acts such as Incubus, White Zombie, Helmet, Primus, Rage Against The Machine, Slipknot, Disturbed, Dope, System of a Down, 311, Korn, Filter, Linkin Park, and Rammstein have all made appearances on at least one installment.
One notable name missing from that list is Static-X, until now (sort of). The reveal trailer for Stage Tour dropped featuring "Terminator Oscillator" from Static-X's 2020 album Project: Regeneration Vol. 1. The video even shows gameplay of the notes from the track, meaning that it will be a playable song. While no other artists have been confirmed at this time, here's to hoping for more nu metal representation, whether it's the classics or newer releases.
Check out the trailer below:
