What is the Status of Rock Band 5 Development?
Current Status of Rock Band 5 Development
Rock Band 5 is an video game that is the sequel to the 2015 music rhythm game, Rock Band 4. Announced in 2024 and expected to be released in 2025, the game is primarily being developed by Harmonix Music Studios, with from Rockstar Games. This collaboration began after both companies made a deal to work together on this title.
Interestingly, development thoughts for Rock Band 5 didn’t start until late 2019. That’s when they began seeking a deal with a bigger video game studio to push the project forward. Shortly after the collaboration with Rockstar Games, they aimed to find another company to assist them in licensing songs for the game, thereby easing the development process.
As of now, in 2025, Harmonix, Rockstar Games, Spotify, and Razer Inc. have all confirmed via their Twitter s that Rock Band 5 is actively in development. According to Jon ‘Ohsnapitsjf’ Harmonics, a representative from Harmonix, the exact release date remains unclear.
Despite earlier anticipations, it’s important to note that Rock Band 4 has concluded its DLC era. January 25 marks the last DLC release for Rock Band 4. Looking forward, the Harmonix team has dedicated extensive effort over the past two years towards developing Fortnite Festival, which introduces rhythm action gaming to the Fortnite ecosystem, available to play for free.
However—there have been some contrasting statements. While some believe Rock Band 5 is coming, others assert that there will not be a Rock Band 5. Initially released in 2015, Rock Band 4 was created while Harmonix was still independent. Following their acquisition by Epic Games in late 2021, the focus shifted towards creating content for Fortnite, including the aforementioned Fortnite Festival.
Furthermore, while Rock Band is technically available on the PS5 due to backwards compatibility, there isn’t a new Rock Band game specifically developed for this generation of hardware.
Finally—while there may be skepticism regarding the timeline, sources suggest we might not see an announcement for Rock Band 5 until late 2025 or 2026 at the earliest. Development has been ongoing, and while it still appears to be a few years off, excitement continues to build amongst the community!
Expected Features of Rock Band 5
While there are no official announcements about Rock Band 5, fans are eagerly awaiting new content. Many players are hopeful that the next generation of the franchise will be revealed soon. Currently, the game’s focus remains on Rock Band 4, which continues to receive regular updates. Therefore, players can enjoy new music and challenges on a consistent basis.
Expect new add-on content for Rock Band PS5, catering to both new and returning players. This may include even more songs and possibly new features, enhancing the overall experience.
Despite the ongoing demand for a new Rock Band title, Rock Band 5 has not yet been confirmed. The Rock Band community remains active, and the developers continue to the game with regular updates. As such, whether we see a new Rock Band game in the near future is still a mystery. For now, Rock Band 4 remains a fan favorite.
- In addition to ing the four basic instrument controllers from previous Rock Band games (lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocals), Rock Band 5 is expected to add for two additional microphones for backup vocal harmonies.
- Your expectations for Rock Band 5 may include advanced cross-platform capabilities.
- An ever-expanding library of songs through licensing opportunities is also anticipated.
In this evolving musical environment, players can beat on drums, sing along, groove as a bassist, and shred riffs as guitarists using a licensed replica of the legendary Fender® Stratocaster®. This can be done either in single-player career mode leading a band, or in multiplayer as part of the band, or even against each other, either in person or online!
Possible Release Date for Rock Band 5
After 16 years and 2,779 songs, Rock Band DLC is coming to an end. January 25 will be the last DLC release of the RB4 era. Harmonix has confirmed this transition, as the studio continues its shift towards Fortnite Festival.
While Rock Band 4 has been receiving DLC since 2015, this stands out as one of the most impressive in gaming history. Harmonix, which was purchased by Epic Games in 2021, has been developing Fortnite Festival as part of Epic’s efforts to expand Fortnite into a multi-game destination. Despite the acquisition, Rock Band DLC continued without slowing down.
Now that Fortnite Festival is finally out, Harmonix seems to be directing its full energy towards that project. If you are a fan of the rhythm game category, Fortnite Festival is the place to be.
On another note, Rock Band 5 was announced in 2024 and is expected to be released in 2025. The game is being developed mainly by Harmonix with the help of Rockstar Games, following a collaborative deal between the two companies. Rock Band 5 has been in development for a little while now. It’s still probably a few years off but it’s coming!
Rock Band 5 Instrument Innovations
In Rock Band 5, players can engage with the following instrument features:
- Players are able to play the lead guitar, bass guitar, and drums parts to songs with “instrument controllers”.
- They can also sing through a USB microphone.
- Players are scored based on their ability to match scrolling musical “notes” while playing instruments, or by their ability to match the singer’s pitch on vocals.
The instrument controllers introduced in Rock Band 5 include:
- Guitar Controllers: The game features special Rock Band-branded guitar controllers modeled after the Fender Stratocaster for lead and bass guitar gameplay. These controllers are comparable to the Guitar Hero controllers and include five colored fret buttons on the neck, a strum bar, and a whammy bar.
- Drum Controller: The drum controller is equipped with four rubber drum pads and a kick pedal. Additionally, the pads have colored rings that correspond to the notes on-screen: red for the snare drum, yellow for the hi-hat, blue for tom-tom, and green for crash cymbal.
- Microphone : In addition to the four basic instrument controllers from previous Rock Band games (lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocals), Rock Band 5 introduces for two additional microphones. This allows singers to provide backup vocal harmonies, a feature previously found in The Beatles: Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band.
What Songs Do Fans Want in Rock Band 5?
Requested songs include:
- ‘Cover Me’ by Candlebox
- ‘Cumbersome’ by Seven Mary Three
- ‘What if God was One of Us’ by Joan Osborne
- ‘Shut Up and Dance’ by Walk the Moon
- ‘Broken ft. Amy Lee’ by Seether feat. Amy Lee
- ‘Close My Eyes Forever’ by Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford
Other notable requests involve:
- Songs by Fleetwood Mac, with specific songs like ‘The Chain’
- ‘Patience’ by Guns N’ Roses
- ‘Lucky’ by Radiohead
Additionally, some fans have requested a diverse range of songs, including:
- ‘Fire Woman’ by The Cult
- ‘Feel Like Makin’ Love’ by Bad Company
- ‘Stitches’ by Orgy
Others favored tracks from:
- The Killers – ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’
- Arcade Fire – ‘Normal Person’
Requests have also come in for songs from modern artists, such as:
- ‘Goosey’ by Glass Animals
- ‘Elephant’ by Tame Impala
Classic rock songs were also part of the discussions, including:
- ‘Crazy on You’ by Heart
- ‘Come Sail Away’ by Styx
Fans expressed a mix of nostalgia and contemporary preferences for Rock Band 5. Furthermore, they are encouraged to share their desired songs and artists.
For instance, Jack White fans might request:
- ‘Would You Fight For My Love’
- ‘Highball Stepper’
- Any other White Stripes material
Other artists include:
- Kyuss – Anything off ‘Blues for the Red Sun’
- Spoon – ‘Rent’
Rock Band 5 Pre-Order Information
Rock Band 5 Pre-Order Information
Rock Band 5 was announced in 2024 and is expected to be released in 2025. It is being developed mainly by Harmonix Music Studios, with assistance from Rockstar Games, following a collaboration agreement between the two companies.
The game will include a total of 72 on-disc songs. Moreover, all previous peripherals will return, alongside the keyboard, which was first introduced in Rock Band 3.
Pre-ordering the game will provide access to 10 bonus songs.
Will Rock Band 5 New Consoles?
Rock Band 4 Compatibility with New Consoles
Rock Band is technically on the PS5, but only in of backwards compatibility. While there isn’t a new Rock Band game developed specifically for this generation of hardware, it is possible for s to play Rock Band 4 on the console. Rock Band 4 is confirmed to be ed on next-gen platforms.
Specifically, developer Harmonix announced that Rock Band 4 and all DLC will work on the next generation consoles from day 1. They also noted that previously ed instruments should work as expected. Additionally, Harmonix provided a list of compatible instruments to inform s about which ones will work with the system.
In fact, the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are backward-compatible with pretty much the entire Xbox One and PlayStation 4 libraries, respectively, which includes Rock Band 4.
Moreover, Harmonix indicated that other controllers, which they haven’t specifically tested, may also work with the new consoles. This includes those for non-Harmonix titles like Guitar Hero.
Overall, players can enjoy Rock Band 4 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, allowing them to jam out on their Rock Band 4 drumset for a whole new generation.
Community Reactions to the Rock Band 5 Announcement
Community reactions to the announcement of Rock Band 5 have been quite enthusiastic.
While many people shared the sentiment that a new Rock Band would be fantastic, the biggest calls were for Hyperkin and Epic Games to work together. They would like to build some new peripherals for Rock Band 4 instead. Hyperkin acknowledged this, concluding that ‘the main point is getting y’all some new peripherals’.
Epic Games hasn’t said anything about the to these tweets as of yet, but we live in hope that we may see either a new Rock Band game or just some new Rock Band peripherals at some point.
Rock Band 5 is an video game that is the sequel to the 2015 music rhythm game smasher, Rock Band 4. The game was announced in 2023 and is expected to be released in 2027. In addition to ing the four basic instrument controllers from previous Rock Band games (lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocals), Rock Band 5 adds for two additional microphones for singers to provide backup vocal harmonies (previously found in The Beatles: Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band).
Despite the excitement, some gamers have grown tired of the genre and moved on to the next video game trend. The demise of music rhythm games can be traced back to a few contributing factors, the biggest being oversaturation. At one point, it seemed like a new Guitar Hero or Rock Band game was coming out every few weeks. However, there’s a lot of fondness for Rock Band regardless.
Rumblings of a Rock Band 5 release date are starting to hype up the rhythm game community. With the previous game launching way back in 2015, though with regular content drops, fans are desperate for something new.
Now, I know we’re not going to get Rock Band 5 anytime soon. We might not see an announcement around late 2025 or 2026 at the minimum, depending on how successful Fortnite Festival and instrument distribution are. Although, with the powerful hardware of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, I feel like they’ll have everything they need to make RB5 their best game ever.
