Key Takeaways
1. RedOctane Games has been launched by veterans from Guitar Hero and DJ Hero, with plans to reveal their first game in 2025.
2. The studio operates under Embracer Group’s Freemode division and is led by Simon Ebejer, a former executive at Blizzard and Vicarious Visions.
3. The new game will not be a sequel or spin-off of existing titles like Guitar Hero or DJ Hero, but rather an original rhythm game focused on community engagement.
4. The original creators of Guitar Hero, brothers Kai and Charles Huang, are involved as advisors for the new studio.
5. RedOctane aims to revitalize the rhythm gaming genre by combining the enthusiasm of younger gamers with the nostalgia of older fans.
Veterans from the well-known Guitar Hero and DJ Hero series have come together to create a fresh start in the rhythm gaming world. RedOctane Games has been officially launched, and the studio has stated that its first game will be revealed sometime in 2025.
New Beginnings
Operating under the Embracer Group’s Freemode division, which focuses on independent gaming projects, RedOctane Games is led by Simon Ebejer, who was the former head of Vicarious Visions and VP of Operations at Blizzard Entertainment.
Ebejer has a rich history in the gaming industry, having served as the production director for many Guitar Hero games like Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Guitar Hero: Metallica, and Guitar Hero: World Tour, while he was at Neversoft.
Exciting Future
The studio’s first game has been in the works for several months and will be announced later in the year. Ebejer shared his thoughts on the upcoming project:
“This game won’t be Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, Guitar Freaks, or Rockband. It’s something entirely new. A rhythm game made with passion, by people who care, centered around the community in the rapidly changing world we live in.”
Additionally, the creators of Guitar Hero, brothers Kai and Charles Huang, are involved in the project’s development as part of a special advisory board within the studio.
A Historical Journey
RedOctane released the first Guitar Hero game back in 2005, followed by Guitar Hero 2 for the PS2, which was developed by Harmonix. Activision later purchased the company and its intellectual property for a staggering $99.9 million in 2006. After the acquisition, Neversoft Entertainment took charge of the series’ development.
The Guitar Hero franchise is recognized as one of the most impactful video games of the 21st century. Over its lifetime, it sold more than 25 million copies worldwide, generating $2 billion in retail revenue.
Despite its success, Activision published 10 main Guitar Hero games between 2007 and 2010, including spin-offs like Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Guitar Hero: Metallica.
A New Era
The franchise’s over-saturation, falling sales, and lack of innovation eventually resulted in the closure of RedOctane on February 11, 2010, followed by Neversoft’s shutdown on July 10, 2014.
Now, RedOctane is once more in the limelight, with the newly-established studio eager to revitalize the genre, hoping to blend the enthusiasm of younger gamers with the nostalgia of older fans to fuel its future projects.
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