Epic buys Fuser studio Harmonix to bring music to Fortnite
Harmonix, which also made Guitar Hero and Rock Band, now belongs to Epic.
Fuser studio Harmonix is now a part of Epic Games. The studio said in an FAQ that the new ownership will enable it to "once again challenge expectations as we bring our unique brand of musical gaming experiences to the Metaverse."
The new ownership will not impact current projects at Harmonix: Fuser events will continue and Rock Band DLC releases will continue into 2022. (Sorry, but new Rock Band instruments are not planned.) Harmonix also confirmed that Fuser and the VR rhythm shooter Audica will remain on Steam, and that there are currently no plans to shut down servers for any older Harmonix games.
Turn your speakers UP! @Harmonix, the makers of interactive music experiences including @RockBand, are joining the Epic Games family! Together we will explore new ways for people to enjoy music across the digital world. ???????????? https://t.co/YLFBtYFKKnNovember 23, 2021
As for what exactly lies ahead, Harmonix didn't get into detail but said that the metaverse in this context means—you guessed it—Fortnite.
"Our team will work with Epic to create musical journeys and gameplay for Fortnite," Harmonix said. "While we’re not ready to share any specifics, the whole team is incredibly excited to get started."
The acquisition actually seems like a pretty good fit. We said back in 2019 that "Fortnite is all about making music now", and so is Harmonix, which specializes in music-based games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band (although Rock Band never made it to PC). Fortnite has also become a home for popular virtual concerts featuring artists including BTS, Travis Scott, and Ariana Grande. Fuser is really good (even when it's grossly misused), and I think it will be genuinely interesting to see what the studio comes up with next under Epic's banner.