Editing Harmonix (section)

===Purchase by Epic Games===

Harmonix was acquired by [[Epic Games]] in November 2021. Harmonix stated that this would not affect their support for ''Rock Band 4'' or ''Fuser'' DLC, though ''Fuser'' was discontinued in 2022. The company also stated it would develop "musical journeys and gameplay for ''[[Fortnite]]''" in addition to making musical projects in the [[metaverse]]. <ref>{{Cite web | url = https://venturebeat.com/2021/11/23/epic-games-acquires-rock-band-maker-harmonix/ | title = Epic Games acquires Rock Band maker Harmonix | first = Dean | last = Takahashi | date = November 23, 2021 | accessdate = November 23, 2021 | work = [[Venture Beat]] }}</ref> This ultimately culminated in the release of ''[[Fortnite Festival]]'' on December 9, 2023.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/2/23978521/fortnite-the-big-bang-eminem-chapter-5 | title = Fortnite's Eminem concert teased the future of the game | first = Andrew | last = Webster | date = December 2, 2023 | accessdate = December 2, 2023 | work = [[The Verge]] }}</ref> ''Fortnite Festival'' follows a similar approach to ''Rock Band'', allowing players to match notes to popular songs, while also offering a "jam" mode that allows players to mix parts from different songs, as in ''Dropmix'' or ''Fuser''. According to Rigopulos, the company plans to treat ''Fortnite Festival'' as a [[Games as a service|live-service]] musical experience for ''Fortnite''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/9/23992574/fortnite-festival-harmonix-guitar-hero-rock-band | title = Fortnite Festival is Rock Band without the plastic instruments | first =  Andrew | last = Webster | date = December 9, 2023 | accessdate = December 9, 2023 | work = [[The Verge]] }}</ref> He also confirmed plans for [[Guitar controller|instrument controller]] support, describing it as "very much a priority" for the team.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bankhurst |first=Adam |date=2023-12-09 |title=Epic Says Rock Band Controller Support a 'Priority' for Fortnite Festival |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/epic-says-rock-band-controller-support-a-priority-for-fortnite-festival |access-date=2023-12-10 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> On January 17, 2024, Harmonix announced that they would discontinue ''Rock Band 4'' DLC, with the final DLC pack released on January 25, 2024. The company noted that "if you are a fan of the rhythm game category, ''Fortnite Festival'' is the place to be".<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |title=An Update on Rock Band 4 DLC |url=http://www.harmonixmusic.com/blog/an-update-on-rock-band-4-dlc |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=www.harmonixmusic.com |language=en}}</ref>