Drakong is starting the year by turning the volume back up on plastic instruments. The L.A.-based hardware company has announced a collaboration with Echo Foundry Interactive that pairs its recently revealed InfinaKore Telecaster Edition Guitar Controller with Sound System, a new rhythm music game built by veterans of the Guitar Hero and DJ Hero era.
The Drakong x Echo Foundry announcement was made this week, with Las Vegas serving as the stage, but the real story is the partnership itself. Sound System is Echo Foundry Interactive’s debut project, led by Marcus Henderson and Lennon Lange, developers whose resumes read like a greatest hits list of mid-2000s rhythm games. Their new title aims to bring guitar gaming back to its arcade roots while pushing the genre forward in a few key ways.
Unlike traditional rhythm games that rely on licensed soundtracks, Sound System is built around free music, streamers, and community-driven content. Players can play guitar, sing vocals, and even create their own note charts for virtually any song. It is a bold pitch in a genre that has largely gone quiet in recent years, and one that leans heavily on creativity and competition rather than weekly DLC drops. Sound System is scheduled to launch first on PC in Spring 2026, with console versions planned for PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox platforms.
As part of the collaboration, Sound System will be fully optimized for Drakong’s InfinaKore Telecaster Edition Guitar Controller. The game will feature a dedicated Pro Mode with DDR-style scoring and strict missed-note penalties, clearly aimed at experienced players who want precision and high-stakes leaderboard play. That design philosophy lines up neatly with InfinaKore’s hardware ambitions.
First announced in June 2025, the InfinaKore Telecaster Edition is a modular guitar controller built for customization and accessibility. Nearly every component can be swapped out, from the body and fret buttons to the whammy bar and strum bar, with 3D print files promised at launch. Drakong is also positioning InfinaKore as the first accessibility-first rhythm game guitar, with open-source mods designed to support players of all abilities. A new Fret-Tapping D-Pad introduces an alternative control method that could appeal to both genre veterans and newcomers.
Beyond Sound System, InfinaKore is designed to work with existing rhythm experiences like Fortnite Festival and community favorites such as Clone Hero, giving it a broader use case than a single game tie-in. With the Fender Telecaster celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2026, the timing feels deliberate, blending music history with a renewed push to make guitar games relevant again. For fans who grew up chasing five-star runs and plastic encore performances, the Drakong x Echo Foundry collaboration feels less like nostalgia and more like an attempt at a genuine second act.
