Guitar Hero and Rock Band are two iconic names that dominated the 2000s and 2010s. While their era in the mainstream spotlight has passed, the original creative forces have reunited under the banner of Echo Foundry to launch their newest project, Sound System.
Following in the footsteps of their previous titles, Sound System is a new rhythm game that not only acts as a return to the "good old days" but also as an evolution of what came before. With the ability to upload any song and edit existing charts, the title offers nearly unlimited possibilities and allows users to live out their custom rock star dreams.
The game is set for release on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with an early access launch scheduled for October 16, 2026, on Steam.
Ahead of this release date, however, we were given the opportunity to speak with the development team to learn more about the project. We discovered new details about the game and its future plans, and even gained some insight into the development of the titles that paved the way.
Hello my name is Ben and I'm one of the co-founders of our website Netto's Game Room. Before we get started, could you introduce yourselves to our readers?
Hi! I’m Lennon Lange; I am the Executive Producer at Echo Foundry Interactive and a lifelong fan of music rhythm games.
Hi Ben, I’m Marcus Henderson; Creative Director for Echo Foundry and one of the game designers on Sound System.
Your upcoming title is Sound System, a game that is essentially a spiritual successor to the music rhythm games that took the world by storm in the 2000s, such as Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and DJ Hero. However, this is more than just a title inspired by those classics, as your team was actually involved in their development. How are you leveraging that past experience to create this new game?
We approached the development of Sound System as what it would be like if we were to take over the development of Guitar Hero after Harmonix and RedOctane parted ways. Guitar Hero was our baby, and unfortunately it slowly lost some of the magic as the game got more popular and business pressures started shaping the direction of the genre. Sound System is the answer to that. We want to take it back to the love of music and the rhythm game genre. Guitar Hero and Rock Band were about feeling like a rockstar and really experiencing music in an interactive way. At its core that is what we are recapturing as all of the team is not only comprised of people who worked on the original games, but we are also all musicians and music is important to us all.
While games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band featured a set playlist, Sound System will be more unique. It will also feature a curated setlist of songs, but players themselves will be able to upload their own music as well. This comes complete with a note chart editor for guitar, bass, and vocals, allowing for nearly unlimited possibilities. Could you tell us a little more about how this will work, and will it be available on all platforms or is it a PC-exclusive feature?
We wanted to give players a curated setlist of songs note charted by our team that they can jump into right from launch of the game, but we really think our in-game note chart editor PulseMap is where the game shines. When we were making Guitar Hero we would constantly get song requests for all the bands that simply do not license their music. Bands like Led Zeppelin are simply impossible to license so they never got to make their way into the classic games, but now with PulseMap any song that the player wants to rock out to is obtainable. Simply upload your audio file into PulseMap and from there create a tempo map, adjust audio levels, chart the song and have fun. This isn’t just for songs that are impossible to license. This tool is primarily for all the unknown musicians who dream of getting their music in a game like this. We are providing the tools for every indie artist to have their fans experience their music in a whole new way. As for this feature being PC-exclusive, PulseMap is a core feature of the game and we plan to include it in all versions of the game.
Another interesting aspect of the editor is that players will be able to modify existing charts. This means, in theory, if players preferred the note chart of a song featured in Guitar Hero, they could recreate that same layout in Sound System. Will there be a way for players to share these creations with others?
PulseMap creates a .chart file when you edit or chart a new song in it. For anyone familiar with fan games such as Clone Hero, the same file type is used. A great thing about .chart files is they are small and easily shareable over email or however a player wants to share them with friends. So yes, players can recreate classic Guitar Hero charts and play them to their hearts content and share them with friends.
Beyond the custom content, your current plans include a Content Store that will allow players to purchase additional tracks, UI skins, and more. I am sure licensing fees will play a major factor, but is there a price range you are hoping to stay within for such content? Especially considering competitors now charge roughly $8.49 per song?
We have seen what competitors have charged for additional content and we are looking to approach this in a way that is better catered to the players. We are aiming to make all our downloadable content affordable. We are trying to right the wrongs of major corporations who over charge players, so we are shooting to have as much content as we can for around $1. As you stated, licensing fees may prohibit us from selling everything for $1, but we promise not to overcharge for content. We feel it is more important to support the players and fans of the music genre.
One question many will be wondering about is instrument support. It has already been announced that previously released legacy controllers will work with Sound System, as will the newly developed models made for titles like Fortnite Festival. However, will new controllers be produced specifically for Sound System, or will you be relying on third-party manufacturers and their existing or future products?
We currently have no plans to create our own Sound System controller, but we are partnering with existing hardware manufacturers like Turtle Beach / PDP to utilize all the new controller features for the game.
With these controllers being a bit on the expensive side, are they absolutely necessary to play Sound System, or will other options be available as well?
While we do feel that the best experience is with the different instrument-based controllers we will have full support for standard controllers as well as keyboard controls. Additionally, we are aiming to have full controller mapping so players can customize how they want to play. If you want to play Sound System on a DDR dance pad go for it!
When it comes to the game's single player mode, will there be any type of campaign to accompany the free play options?
We do have a full campaign mode planned for the game with an all-new progression system and venues that OG fans will instantly relate to. We really wanted to capture the vibe of the scenes we grew up with, so we're super excited to bring you on the road with us when we launch this fall.
Although Guitar, Bass and Vocals are currently the main focus, are Drums, Keyboard, or other instrument types also being considered down the road?
Well, when we first announced the game, we heard an outcry from the community for drums so we bumped up our development timeline, and we will be supporting drums at our initial launch of the game. So, we will have full band support from the start (Guitar, Bass, Drums and Vocals) We are also very interested in adding additional instruments in the future and keyboard is at the top of the list.
Despite Fortnite Festival bringing more awareness to instrument-based rhythm games once again, there is no denying that these titles have yet to recapture the same level of popularity they once enjoyed. Even so, a dedicated fanbase remains, and Sound System seems to be everything they could possibly hope for. Do you think Sound System could also reach new fans and perhaps finally tip the scales enough to see a full revival of the genre?
Yes for sure! There is a huge fanbase of the classic titles as well as the new titles like Fortnite Festival. The classic games came out 20 years ago and all those fans now have kids who never got to experience the joy of these games. We are hoping that Sound System will bring families together again like they did 20 years ago. I remember taking Guitar Hero on tour and players of all ages would get into it. The hardcore players never stopped playing and developed games of their own like Clone Hero and YARG, but what we are hoping to bring is a more accessible offering for both hardcore as well as casual gamers to get back into the rhythm game space.
I know we've already discussed a lot of the title's features, but have there been any significant changes to the general gameplay formula many of us are familiar with, or will Sound System stay true to its roots?
We wanted to make sure Sound System felt familiar so at its core we stayed true to the roots of games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but where we are innovating is on customization and creation. With features like PulseMap we are unlocking players to be able to create whatever they want. If you want to put your own music in the game, do it! If you want to chart the sound of a classic dial up modem, do it! We are also letting players add full motion video to the game so they can add their own backgrounds to the gameplay. What better way to rock out than to your own home movies lol. Players these days are filled with creativity, and we want to foster that. Sound System is a game made for the players.
Is there anything else you'd like our readers to know about the game?
Sound System is more than just a game, it is a rhythm game platform. We don’t plan to release a ton of sequels; we plan to grow Sound System to have an endless amount of content. We want the game to grow with the community through feedback, user generated content, new instruments and more. Sound System is a love letter to fans of the genre.
And finally, we like to end things with a "just for fun" question. In this case, I have to ask: Have you ever completed Through the Fire and Flames on Expert Mode? And, if possible, would you like to include it in Sound System as an official song?
I have never beaten Through the Fire and Flames on expert, but I was there when my dear friend Raul Renteria was the first person to beat it. He was a legend and could play expert charts without even looking at the screen. As for having it in the game I would love that. Chris Vance who did the original chart for it is helping us out on some note charts and I’d love to have him create an updated version of the song. Who knows maybe it will happen.
Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with me. As a fellow rhythm game fan, I look forward to seeing the game release in the near future.
For more on Sound System, you can head over to the Steam Page to wishlist the game today.
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