Fuser (video game)

Gameplay

In Fuser, players step into the role of a DJ performing at a massive concert, blending together different songs into mashups. The core gameplay revolves around a virtual DJ setup featuring four turntables, customizable instruments, audio filters, and a selection of up to 24 songs, known as a "crate," that can be remixed. Every song is broken down into four colored stems, each tied to a specific instrument type like drums, guitar, or vocals. At any moment, a player can choose a song, pick one of its stems, and drop it onto any turntable to incorporate that sound into the current mix. The game automatically handles tempo and key adjustments to keep everything in sync. Players can also prepare a second instrument track, switching between it and the main track instantly or using a "riser" for a gradual transition. Audio filters can be applied to each individual instrument, and a synthesizer lets users craft custom instrument loops that can be added to the mix. This approach is similar to Harmonix’s earlier title DropMix, a physical card game that used NFC technology with a game board and mobile app, published by Hasbro.

The single-player campaign takes players through multiple sets at different venues. During each set, mixes are scored, with extra points awarded for adding new tracks on the downbeat or at specific beats where a track drops. The virtual audience makes requests—for particular songs, genres, or instrument types—and fulfilling these quickly earns bonus points. Players receive a star rating from one to five based on their total score for the set. To maximize their score, they can customize their crate to make switching between tracks as efficient as possible.

Before the game’s online features were shut down, Fuser offered both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, where players either worked together on a mix or competed against each other. There were also weekly mix events, which challenged players to create a mix centered on a specific genre or instrument, with other players voting on the results. Additionally, a freestyle mode lets players build their own mixes and share them on social media.

Development

In August 2018, Harmonix revealed a publishing partnership with NCSoft for a new rhythm game headed to PC and consoles. Dan Sussman of Harmonix noted that NCSoft saw the project early on and quickly signed on as the publisher, helping to present it at industry events. The game, Fuser, was officially unveiled at PAX East in February 2020, with a launch date set for November 10, 2020. Sussman described Fuser as a natural next step in Harmonix’s music games, focusing on giving players more control. He explained that many players have broad musical tastes and wanted greater freedom to interact with the music creatively. Harmonix also observed that in games like Rock Band, the large song libraries often made tracks feel disposable, since players had little reason to learn them deeply; instead, players wanted a game that let them become more familiar with a song’s structure. Unlike many earlier Harmonix titles, Fuser does not require special controllers. Dan Walsh from Harmonix said this choice was driven by a desire for accessibility and to make the game easier to release as both a physical and digital product. Sussman added that because Fuser’s gameplay was different from past Harmonix games, it attracted both seasoned rhythm game fans and newcomers. As with previous Harmonix releases, Sussman said songs from bands linked to Harmonix staff would likely appear on the final track list. He also confirmed that the music licenses allowed for mixing songs together and sharing those mixes on social media. Harmonix later announced that Fuser’s online features would be shut down on December 19, 2022, and the game along with all downloadable content would be removed from sale. After that date, players could still use any content they owned in offline modes. However, on December 16, 2022, the company said the servers would remain active until early 2023 because of an unspecified problem.

Soundtrack

The base game of Fuser includes several licensed songs. Three tracks initially offered as pre-order bonuses later became standard DLC on January 21, 2021. The first DLC wave added 25 songs at launch. On November 18, 2020, Harmonix revealed the first post-launch DLC songs and the 2020 Backstage Pass, which bundles all songs and cosmetic packs from 2020. On February 10, 2022, the studio announced that after the March release of individual tracks from the 2021 Mixtape pack, paid DLC would stop, though music in the Diamond Shop would keep coming out.