What REDOCTANE GAMES LIMITED does

RedOctane Games is a privately held rhythm video game studio launched in August 2025 and operating as a subsidiary of Embracer Freemode within the Embracer Group. The company is building a debut title, Stage Tour, positioned as a spiritual successor to Guitar Hero and Rock Band, with roguelite campaign elements and multiplayer support, planned for release on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC in fall 2026. The studio's leadership includes Studio Head Simon Ebejer (former Production Director on Guitar Hero titles at Neversoft and VP of Operations at Blizzard Entertainment) and an advisory board featuring Charles and Kai Huang, the original founders of the Guitar Hero franchise in 2005. Core development staff were recruited from the YARG open-source rhythm game community and the Lore Hero community after incubation periods, establishing a community-co-development model from day one.

The business operates an integrated software-plus-hardware model: RedOctane develops the game software while its sister company CRKD (also under Embracer Freemode) develops the guitar controllers and 5-fret handheld peripherals, with CRKD hardware already validated through a partnership with Epic Games for use with Fortnite Festival. The company's proprietary technical contribution is a Hall Effect sensor-based strum bar that replaces mechanical switches in guitar controllers to address durability and supply-chain issues from the original Guitar Hero era. Revenue mechanics under design include one-time game sales (digital distribution on consoles and PC), hardware sales through the CRKD brand, and music licensing/royalty arrangements with major labels and rights holders (with confirmed Stage Tour tracks from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Ghost, BABYMETAL, and Static-X). Branded-instrument OEM partnerships with Gibson, Kramer, Epiphone, and Mesa Boogie provide both authenticity for the in-game simulation and co-marketing channels for the hardware line. As of the most recent disclosures, the company is pre-revenue, with the debut title not yet commercially released.

Name

REDOCTANE GAMES LIMITED

Legal name

Redoctane Games LLC

Website

https://redoctane.games

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RedOctane Games is a pre-revenue rhythm video game studio, founded in August 2025 under Embracer Freemode, developing Stage Tour, a Guitar Hero-style game with roguelite and multiplayer features, launching fall 2026 across consoles and PC with companion CRKD hardware controllers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rhythm Video Games

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (45914)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Computer Peripheral Equipment, Nec (3577)

akta.pro primary industry

Social/UGC & Sandbox Game Studios (Roblox-like) (MPAFAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Game Controllers & Input Devices (Gamepads, Wheels, Flight Sticks) (CRACAOAD)

Keywords

• Rhythm video games
• Music rhythm games
• Guitar game controllers
• Console game development
• Video game publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Aylesbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: Sales of rhythm game titles for consoles and PC, including their debut title Stage Tour with planned fall release.
2. Hardware Controllers: Sale of branded guitar controllers and peripherals through CRKD brand. Partnerships with Gibson, Kramer, Epiphone, and Mesa Boogie for branded instruments and equipment.
3. Music Licensing: Revenue from featuring major artist tracks including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Ghost, BABYMETAL, and Static-X, potentially through licensing agreements with music labels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

RedOctane Games develops rhythm video games and complementary instrument-style game controllers. Their debut title, Stage Tour, is a rhythm game positioned as a spiritual successor to Guitar Hero and Rock Band, featuring roguelite campaign elements and multiplayer support. The studio also develops guitar controller hardware through its sister brand CRKD, with branded peripherals co-developed in partnership with Gibson, Kramer, Epiphone, and Mesa Boogie.

Product overview

RedOctane Games is a rhythm game studio developing a portfolio of connected rhythm experiences spanning both software games and hardware controllers. Its flagship upcoming title is Stage Tour, a rhythm game built as a spiritual successor to Guitar Hero and Rock Band with roguelite and multiplayer elements. The company also develops complementary guitar controller hardware — including CRKD-branded guitar peripherals (CRKDtar, Gibson Les Paul controller, and a new Kramer-modeled guitar for Stage Tour) and handheld 5-fret attachments — enabling players to physically interact with its games. Both the Stage Tour game and its branded instrument peripherals are designed to work together as an integrated rhythm gaming ecosystem, with community input from figures like the Lore Hero and YARG communities shaping development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stage Tour Debut rhythm game from RedOctane Games positioned as a spiritual successor to Guitar Hero and Rock Band, featuring roguelite campaign elements, multiplayer support, and integration with branded instrument peripherals from Gibson, Kramer, Epiphone, and Mesa Boogie. Targeted at rhythm gaming enthusiasts for release on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
• CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller Guitar controller peripheral sold under the CRKD brand featuring Hall Effect strum bar sensor technology, developed in collaboration with the Lore Hero community. Designed for rhythm gaming enthusiasts seeking durable, modern hardware for use with rhythm games.
• Stage Tour Kramer-Modeled Guitar Peripheral Branded guitar controller co-developed with Kramer for use with the Stage Tour rhythm game. Unveiled at IGN Live 2026 as part of the instrument partner lineup for the title.
• CRKD 5-Fret NEO S Controller (Doohickey) Handheld 5-fret attachment controller, a modern evolution of the Guitar Hero DS controller, designed for use with Fortnite Festival and compatible with other rhythm games.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• GibsoncoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 8 June 2026Gibson has partnered with RedOctane Games for the Stage Tour game, providing branded guitar instruments and equipment. A Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller was released through CRKD brand.
• KramercoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 8 June 2026Kramer has partnered with RedOctane Games for Stage Tour, featuring branded instruments. A new Kramer-modeled guitar peripheral was unveiled at IGN Live 2026.
• EpiphonecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 8 June 2026Epiphone partnered with RedOctane Games for the Stage Tour rhythm game to feature branded instruments and equipment.
• Mesa BoogiecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 8 June 2026Mesa Boogie has partnered with RedOctane Games for Stage Tour, providing branded amplifier equipment for the rhythm game.
• CRKDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRKD is a separate company under the same parent company Embracer Freemode. RedOctane Games works closely with CRKD to deliver top-tier hardware performance. CRKD handles hardware development while RedOctane focuses on game software.
• YARG TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung developers behind the YARG (Yet Another Rhythm Game) community project were recruited to join RedOctane Games. Started with 3-month incubation test to evaluate fit. Core developers (Alex, Nathan, Jacob, Quinton, Kadu) now part of the studio.
• Lore Hero CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLore Hero community members including Alec (Acai), Jason, JP, and Moose contributed to shaping the final stages of guitar controller development and were involved in brainstorming sessions for the new game.
• Charles and Kai HuangflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal founders of the Guitar Hero franchise in 2005 have joined a special advisory board for RedOctane Games. Their involvement brings deep heritage and insight to the studio's future direction.
• Epic GamescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCRKD partnered with Epic Games to provide a 5-fret handheld controller attachment for Fortnite Festival, demonstrating compatibility and exciting the team about returning to rhythm gaming development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Lore Hero: Community-led rhythm-game project whose members (Alec/Acai, Jason, JP) were onboarded at RedOctane. Adjacent emerging player tied closely to RedOctane via shared personnel and product co-development.
• YARG (Yet Another Rhythm Game): Free, open-source rhythm game project whose core developers were recruited into RedOctane. Closest community-origin peer — overlaps directly on gameplay, charting tools, and target community.
• Clone Hero: Free, community-developed rhythm game supporting third-party guitar controllers, considered the de facto modern successor to Guitar Hero for PC. An emerging player with strong grassroots adoption that competes for the same rhythm-purist audience.

Others

• Gibson: Iconic guitar manufacturer and RedOctane's flagship instrument-brand partner (Gibson Les Paul Controller). They are a supplier/partner in the hardware ecosystem rather than a software competitor, but materially shape RedOctane's product authenticity.

Broad incumbents

• Ubisoft (Just Dance): Publishes the Just Dance series, the most successful contemporary rhythm-game franchise. Overlaps with RedOctane on rhythm gameplay and console/PC distribution, but targets a different (camera-based, mass-market) audience rather than guitar-controller purists.
• Epic Games (Fortnite Festival): Operates Fortnite Festival, a free-to-play rhythm mode inside Fortnite that is the largest active rhythm-game surface and uses CRKD-compatible hardware. A broader incumbent with overlapping rhythm-game functionality but as part of a much wider games portfolio.
• Bandai Namco (Taiko no Tatsujin): Long-running rhythm-game franchise (Taiko no Tatsujin) published across consoles and mobile. Operates in the same rhythm category with a different input method (drum controller) and strong Japanese market presence.

Direct peers

• CRKD: Sister company under Embracer Freemode that designs and ships the guitar controllers (CRKDtar, Gibson Les Paul, Kramer) RedOctane relies on. Direct hardware counterpart to RedOctane's software business.
• Harmonix: Original developer of Guitar Hero (before RedOctane published) and Rock Band franchise. The most direct rhythm-game development peer — same genre, same controller paradigm, same target audience.
• Neversoft: Original developer of Guitar Hero III and several Guitar Hero titles with Simon Ebejer as Production Director. Now merged into Infinity Ward under Activision — a direct historical peer whose playbook RedOctane is explicitly revisiting.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/redoctanegames

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about REDOCTANE GAMES LIMITED