Epic Games today announced its acquisition of American video game developer Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. The name should ring a bell for fans of music games, as this is the studio responsible for Dance Central, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and other popular franchises. Harmonix’s most recent project was Fuser, a rhythm game that was developed using Unreal Engine 4.
From Epic Games’ announcement:
Harmonix has a track record of creating fun and engaging music experiences designed for everyone to enjoy. As we work to build the metaverse, this expertise is needed to reimagine how music is experienced, created and distributed.
The Harmonix team will collaborate closely with Epic to develop musical journeys and gameplay for Fortnite while continuing to support existing titles including Rock Band 4.
“Harmonix has always aspired to create the world’s most beloved interactive music experiences, and by joining Epic we will be able to do this at scale,” said Alex Rigopulos, Co-Founder and Chairman at Harmonix. “Together we will push the creative boundaries of what’s possible and invent new ways for our players to make, perform and share music.”
“Music is already bringing millions of people together in Fortnite, from our emotes to global concerts and events,” said Alain Tascan, Vice President of Game Development at Epic Games. “Together with the Harmonix team we will transform how players experience music, going from passive listeners to active participants.”
Sources: Epic Games, Harmonix