Image via RedOctane
RedOctane’s Stage Tour and its brand new instrument controllers will be in our hands in just over a month, and now we’ve got details that mean those devices are going to be getting a lot more use.
Rock Band and Guitar Hero fans from the old days might have been keeping an eye on Stage Tour, I certainly have been. The game brings back the era of replica instruments being used for music rhythm games in a big way, and despite having over 90 songs spanning six decades, there’s even more on the way for fans who manage to somehow reach the endgame.
Stage Tour Looks To Rival Coldplay’s Tour With Its Post-Launch Plans
So, what does RedOctane have planned for Stage Tour after its launch on December 10, 2026? As it stands, the developer has plans for four major expansions each and every year. Right off the bat, that’s a lot. The original Destiny launched with plans for two DLC each year, with a third major expansion bringing a new era to the game once that period was over. Stage Tour is arguably in a position to be called a live-service rhythm game with this cadence, but without the microtransaction woes.
You read that right. While these expansions will have a price to them, they’ll include a tonne of new songs, new instruments, new characters, and potentially a new stage too. However, the idea is that these will be available for their entire license period, so not time-limited in the traditional, “You’ve got 20 days to buy this or feel the FOMO,” sense. You should also be able to buy the songs and cosmetics within the expansion separately, and for less cash, over time, if that’s something you’d rather do.
Let’s think about this for a second. Right now, the biggest rhythm game on the planet is probably Fortnite Festival. I’m saying this because it’s attached to Fortnite, is played by pretty much everyone under a certain age that I know, and they explore this game now and then for the battle pass cosmetics they unlock by proxy. That game is okay as a rhythm title, but without accessories you have to purchase separately, there’s a disconnect between player and music, in my opinion.
Even with this lack of perfection, Fortnite Festival attracts some of the biggest pop stars on the planet. Imagine what a game that’s solely focused on the music industry could do with even more effort being poured into it. That’s what makes Stage Tour so damn exciting. It’s about to open a door that could be slammed all the way to the wall and have everyone and their nans pouring in to play. Sure, it may go the other way, and may be a slow burner, but with a holiday release window and a cost-of-living crisis that’ll force us all to enjoy each other’s company instead of splurging at Christmas, I think this is going to be a winner.
With four major expansions each year, I can see Stage Tour being a big focus of everyone’s time moving forward into the next decade of gaming. However, if it doesn’t also evolve with new modes, themed events, and enough cosmetics to choke my Switch 2, then it’s not going to hit the highs I know it can.
An ace up the sleeve that Stage Tour has is the ability to use older instrument controllers with it. The compatibility on PC is absolutely wild, and while there’s a lot on consoles, it’s understandably a bit more limited. With that said, I love the idea of pulling my older controllers out for a play with my kids, because I grew up playing those. I remember getting Guitar Hero 3 at launch and playing it through on hard mode on day one. That’s the kind of thing I want to do in Stage Tour, and with so many options for how to play, I can’t see why anyone with one of these devices lurking in their attic wouldn’t give it a go.
Since I’m talking about the game, I think it’s worth giving you a heads-up about pre-orders and delivery. The developers have advised that delivery of pre-orders should be between December 1-10, 2026, but there could be a couple of business-day delays. This is due to general Christmas postal traffic, but also the fact that the developer obviously doesn’t want to send stuff out too early. If you’re like me, you’ve probably got an entire band kit pre-ordered. Don’t worry, it’ll arrive, but bear with the developer as it navigates an already troubling world with an extra busy period.
There will be another setlist reveal for Stage Tour on November 4, 2026, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, while you await this new era of music rhythm gaming, why not crack out Guitar Hero or Rock Band for another play?
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