Which publisher has handled the Guitar Hero series since 2006?

Activision has handled publishing for the Guitar Hero series since 2006. The company acquired RedOctane’s Guitar Hero business in June of that year, while Harmonix—the original developer—was acquired separately by MTV Games.

That split changed the series’ structure. Harmonix completed its remaining contractual work, but Activision selected its own subsidiary, Neversoft, to lead development of later mainline Guitar Hero games. Activision also coordinated ports and related projects through studios including Vicarious Visions, Budcat Creations, and FreeStyleGames.

Activision’s publishing role continued through the franchise’s major releases, including Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero World Tour, Guitar Hero 5, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, and the 2015 reboot Guitar Hero Live.

A common mix-up is confusing publisher and developer. Harmonix created the original game, MTV Games later owned Harmonix, and Neversoft developed several main entries. Activision, however, is the publisher associated with the series from 2006 onward.