CRKD is making a drum controller for rhythm games

CRKD is expanding its lineup of rhythm game controllers. The gaming accessory maker previously released guitar controllers that are compatible with games like Fortnite Festival and open-source projects like Clone Hero, and based on a recent teaser video, it looks like it’s doing a drum kit controller next.

The teaser is brief, but CRKD appears to be covering all the basics that old Rock Band and Guitar Hero controllers did, with four separate colored pads, a pedal and cymbals. In a blog post, the company says that it plans to incorporate “the good lessons (and the bad)” from its previous controllers, mix them with customer feedback and hopefully make an even better controller when the drum controller is formally introduced in Q1 2026.

While rhythm games aren’t as big as they used to be, they never fully left the indie scene, and they could be primed for a bit of a comeback in 2026. Nintendo plans to release a new entry in its Rhythm Heaven series, Rhythm Heaven Groove, in 2026, and Epic Games continues to support Fortnite Festival with new songs. CRKD also happens to be owned by Embracer Freemode, the same parent company of the revived RedOctane Games, which is working on new rhythm games after helping to popularize the genre with the original Guitar Hero.