Stage Tour announces December date, instrument pre-orders

Stage Tour is certainly looking like the Guitar Hero resurgence we've been waiting for. Today's Opening Night Live trailer looked epic, and we also got a release date. December 10th is set, alongside pre-orders for bundles and instruments. Those will likely go fast, as well as special edition guitars that are coming from CRKD. Check out the details below as you ready your inner rocker.

SAN FRANCISCO, California – August 25, 2026 – RedOctane Games, a leading development studio in rhythm gaming, took center stage today at Opening Night Live gamescom (ONL), where host Geoff Keighley lifted the curtain on the biggest Stage Tour reveal yet.

On December 10, when the house lights dim, a new generation of fans will finally be able to pick up their Guitar Controllers, turn the volume up to 11 and rock out as Stage Tour starts shipping!

The new trailer which went live at ONL featured Mötley Crüe’s iconic “Kickstart My Heart,” and marked the latest stop on the Stage Tour road to launch, with fans able to go hands-on with the game throughout the week on the now-famous Stage Tour custom arcade machines, available to play on the show floor.

But the tour doesn’t stop in Cologne; Stage Tour will be taking to the road, hitting select events and destinations in the months ahead, giving fans worldwide the chance to go hands-on before the game launches this December.

WATCH STAGE TOUR OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE TRAILER

WATCH STAGE TOUR BACKSTAGE: OFFICIAL DEEP DIVE

Built by veterans of the original music rhythm game era alongside leading developers and creators from the rhythm gaming community, Stage Tour honors everything fans loved about the golden age of music games while building something new and fresh: a massive setlist spanning six decades, an authentic Gibson® guitar collection, a cast of 50 bandmates, and fresh game modes designed for everyone from first-timers to the most dedicated shredders.

With Stage Tour allowing up to four players to rock out together locally, and with all four players able to enjoy any combination of Guitar, Drums, Microphone or Gamepad, there’s a way to play for everyone and no end of options for your entire party to engage in high-octane living room mayhem!

Stage Tour has been designed to be inclusive, bringing friends, family and fellow music lovers together to rock out as a team. Supporting cross-platform online co-op play, as well as online leaderboards, there will always be something new to experience, and for those playing alone, Tour Mode offers a dedicated single-player experience, playable with either Guitar Controller or Gamepad.

Stage Tour launches December 10, 2026 on PlayStation®5, XBOX Series X|S, Nintendo® Switch™2, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, with Stage Tour hardware & Game Bundle pre-orders open today at stagetour.com.

OVER 90 SONGS, SIX DECADES OF MUSIC

Delivering one of the biggest and most varied launch setlists in the history of the genre, Stage Tour features over 90 songs spanning six decades of music from some of the greatest classic and modern artists of all time, including The Rolling Stones, Metallica, Radiohead, The Cure, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mötley Crüe, Paramore and Olivia Rodrigo, to name but a few.

Today, RedOctane Games is unveiling 20 newly announced songs, its biggest batch of tracks yet, bringing the total revealed to 45 — and that’s not even half of it! More songs will be announced through the popular Stage Tour Setlist Reveal series across social media in the run-up to launch.

Confirmed Tracks Include:

• “Bite Me” – Avril Lavigne
• “RATATATA” – BABYMETAL & Electric Callboy
• “Just Pretend” – Bad Omens
• “Blind and Frozen” – Beast in Black
• “Red Flag” – Billy Talent
• “Pump It” – Black Eyed Peas
• “MORE THAN YOU KNOW” – blink-182
• “Siren” – Castle Rat
• “I Fought the Law” – The Clash
• “Just Like Heaven” – The Cure
• “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” – The Darkness
• “Photograph” – Def Leppard
• “Rio” – Duran Duran
• “Bad Habits” – Ed Sheeran feat. Bring Me the Horizon
• “Get the Funk Out” – Extreme
• “Heartbreak Feels So Good” – Fall Out Boy
• “Land of Confusion” – Genesis
• “Square Hammer” – Ghost
• “Mimi's Delivery Service” – Good Kid
• “Airhead” – Honey Revenge
• “Grace” – Jeff Buckley
• “The Unknowing” – Jfarrari
• “Jane!” – The Long Faces
• “The End” – Mammoth
• “The Motherload” – Mastodon
• “Tornado of Souls” – Megadeth
• “Lux Æterna” – Metallica
• “Kickstart My Heart” – Mötley Crüe
• “Starlight” – Muse
• “ballad of a homeschooled girl” – Olivia Rodrigo
• “Do Me Like That” – The Paradox
• “For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic” – Paramore
• “Just” – Radiohead
• “Dani California” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
• “Broken Dreams, Inc.” – Rise Against
• “In the Stars” – The Rolling Stones
• “Psychosocial” – Slipknot
• “All Star” – Smash Mouth
• “In the Meantime” – Spacehog
• “Terminator Oscillator” – Static-X
• “…Baby One More Time” – Tenacious D
• “Shut Up and Dance” – Walk the Moon
• “Island in the Sun” – Weezer
• “Teenage Dirtbag” – Wheatus
• “Sharp Dressed Man” – ZZ Top

The setlist brings together era-defining classics and modern anthems, delivering the nostalgia hit fans crave while celebrating the incredible music that has shaped the last two decades since rhythm gaming first took the world by storm.

180+ AUTHENTIC GUITARS, 50+ BANDMATES

Through its multi-year partnership with Gibson, Stage Tour brings more than 180 authentic guitars from Gibson, Epiphone® and Kramer® into the game at launch, the largest collection of real-world guitars ever featured in a music game.

Fans can unlock legendary instruments as they play, building their ultimate collection and taking real rock heritage on stage with them.

Joining them is a roster of over 50 bandmates, each with their own style and skins, giving players more than 150 unlockable combinations at launch.

“Today we’re pulling back the curtain and giving fans a glimpse at what’s behind,” said Simon Ebejer, Studio Head at RedOctane Games. “We’ve shared our progress with fans publicly and with members of the community in closed alpha builds earlier than is typical in the games industry, allowing their feedback to shape the development of Stage Tour. Familiar but fresh has been our mantra from day one, and whether you’re picking up a guitar controller, drum controller, a microphone, or a gamepad to play Arcade Mode, there’s a way to play that feels made for you, because it was.”

FAMILIAR, BUT FRESH

Easy to pick up, hard to master, Stage Tour pairs familiar favorites such as Quickplay and Practice modes with new ways to play, including accuracy-focused Judgements and a casual Karaoke mode built for nights when the party just wants to sing.

Headlining the lineup is Tour Mode, an all-new, roguelite-inspired single-player experience where fans choose their path, pick their bandmates and hit the road. Every tour plays out differently, putting an endlessly replayable twist on a tried-and-tested formula. More on Tour Mode will be revealed in the weeks and months ahead as Stage Tour continues its journey towards launch.

PLAY YOUR WAY

Anyone who experienced the thrill of rhythm music games in their heyday, will feel right at home as soon as they pick up their Guitar Controller with Stage Tour. Alongside Guitar Controllers, Drum Controllers and Microphones, Stage Tour introduces full support for standard gamepads as well as keyboard & mouse, with custom note charts built specifically for each input rather than simply adapting the traditional guitar experience.

The Guitar Controller sets the standard for the iconic Stage Tour experience, but now anyone can jump in from the very first song with the controller they already own.

Quickplay and Judgements mode supports up to four players in any combination of Guitar Controllers, Drum Controllers, Microphones, gamepads and keyboard & mouse — whether that’s a full band or four guitars shredding together.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

The Stage Tour game will be priced at $39.99 / €39.99 / £34.99. Fans can wishlist the game starting today across supported digital storefronts, with digital pre-orders opening closer to launch. An exact digital pre-order date will be announced shortly.

Hardware and bundle pre-orders are open now

Fans can secure the complete Stage Tour experience today with the Stage Tour Kramer Guitar & Game Bundle, pairing the official Kramer Guitar Controller with the full Stage Tour game, starting at $129.99 USD / €139.99 / £119.99 at stagetour.com and participating retailers.

Gamers who pre-order the Kramer Guitar & Game Bundle at stagetour.com will also receive an exclusive Stage Tour Comic Book made in collaboration with Dark Horse Comics, as a pre-order bonus.

For those ready to build their full band, the more you pre-order, the more you save at stagetour.com. Bundle multiple pieces of Stage Tour hardware together, including the Stage Tour Band Kit + Game Bundle for $299.99 USD / €314.99 / £269.99, giving players everything they need to turn the living room into a world-class stage.

Official Stage Tour hardware will also be available to purchase individually, including:

Stage Tour Kramer Guitar Controller – $109.99 USD / €114.99 / £99.99
Stage Tour Drum Kit – $199.99 USD / €209.99 / £179.99
Stage Tour Wireless Microphone – $29.99 USD / €29.99 / £27.99
Stage Tour Wired USB Microphone – $19.99 USD / €19.99 / £17.99

CRKD x Stage Tour Collection

The CRKD x Stage Tour Collection expands the lineup with a new rangle of officially licensed Gibson guitar controllers, including:

CRKD Stage Tour Gibson Les Paul Oxblood Edition – PC/Multi-Platform: $119.99 USD / €124.99 / £109.99
CRKD Stage Tour Gibson Les Paul Oxblood Edition – XBOX Series X|S/PC: $129.99 USD / €134.99 / £119.99
CRKD Stage Tour 8K Gibson Explorer 20th Anniversary Edition – PC/Multi-Platform: $129.99 USD / €134.99 / £119.99

Pre-order Stage Tour game bundles and official hardware now at stagetour.com.

Wishlist Stage Tour on Steam, PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X|S and Epic Games Store, andfollow @stagetourgame on all socials for the latest updates, news and official announcements: stgame.io/socials

Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more Stage Tour and CRKD news and info!