Attention, Fortnite Festival fans: A drum kit controller is coming in 2026

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CRKD has confirmed a drum kit controller that will arrive in 2026

The teaser image for the CRKD Drum Kit controller
(Image credit: CRKD)

After the launch of the brand's Gibson Les Paul Guitar controller earlier in the year, CRKD has just officially announced a new Drum Kit Controller. I'll warn you now, the details we have are thin since only a teaser trailer has been shown so far. Since CRKD has made some of the most unique PC controllers, and best Switch controllers in recent times though, it's easy to get excited about what's in the oven.

It seems we won't be getting this new member of the gaming band until 2026, but it's definitely something for virtual drummers to put on their watchlists. Fortnite Festival has been an increasingly popular addition to the workhorse battle royale franchise, and it's been great seeing it reintroduce a nostalgic form of hardware back to the mainstream.

Another CRKD Instrument is Joining the Band… - YouTube Another CRKD Instrument is Joining the Band… - YouTube
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A press release from CRKD reads: "No one listens to gamers like the folks at CRKD, constantly striving to innovate and deliver the very best in collectible, quality gaming hardware and the all-new Drum-Kit Controllers will certainly continue the mission to bring the community what they’re craving and bringing the band back together for a whole new era."

Annoyingly, the release is very sparse on actual details about the new controller, but it seems like it's well on its way to the shelves. Interested virtual musicians can sign up for any and all news alerts about the new controllers through CRKD's website.

Putting together a band?

PDP Riffmaster preview image of the guitar on a stand in front of an RGB corner lamp

(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)

If you're just getting started with your Fortnite Festival band, you might want to know about these two first:

PDP Riffmaster: $119 at Amazon
CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller: $124.99 at Amazon

We don't even have any idea what platforms this new kit will service, although, if other recent Guitar Hero era controllers are anything to go by, budding drummers on every platform will be catered to.

From what I can make out from the trailer, it seems as though the CRKD Drum Kit Controller will have a central control panel to make navigating menus a bit easier. From pausing at just the right moment, you can see a closer image of that panel below, which includes a joystick, the normal face buttons of a regular controller, and a few function buttons in the middle. Perhaps. It's been 10 years since the last Rock Band game came out, so I'm sure CRKD has found ways to streamline this type of controller since then.

The kit has four drum pads, along with three symbols, but it's not clear from the silhouetted imagery whether or not they'll be adjustable, but I can make out one pedal at least (for hi-hat and bass drum functionality).

The teased control panel for the CRKD Drum Kit Controller

(Image credit: CRKD)

CRKD has followed the lead of the PDP Riffmaster Guitar controller in giving gamers back a slice of this nostalgic form of gaming hardware. In the last month alone, CRKD has launched a special edition colorway of its Gibson Les Paul controller, and Turtle Beach has launched a Switch 2 controller variant of its Riffmaster product. I did wonder if Fortnite Festival's expanding ecosystem would spark more Rock Band-esque hardware, and it definitely seems as though it now is. It's a shame these controllers aren't servicing a wider selection of games - although the Guitar Life controller on Switch 2 is showing there are creative ways to innovate on the formula.

Interestingly, I haven't heard any rumblings about other brands like Turtle Beach (parent brand of PDP) expanding their portfolio of other rock band controllers. I wonder whether, since PDP was absorbed into Turtle Beach, this has been a lesser priority, or it's something that will come later. With no other drum kit controllers currently confirmed, CRKD seems primed to "fill" a gap in the market - see what I did there? Little drumming joke for you?

What's really interesting to me, as someone who's been following and covering this brand since its inception, is that it's teasing a new form of rhythm game controller instead of a version of its extremely popular CRKD Nitro Deck+ for Switch 2. Perhaps this is in the works, but we'll need to wait and find out what's in store for 2026.

For more on the latest controllers, read up on the best PS5 controllers, the best Xbox Series X controller, and the best Switch 2 controllers.

Duncan Robertson
Hardware Editor

One of my earliest memories is playing SuperMario64 and wondering why the controller I held had three grips, but I only had two hands. Ever since I've been in love with video games and their technology. After graduating from Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in Journalism, I contributed to the Scottish Games Network and completed an Editorial Internship at Expert Reviews. Over the last decade, I’ve been managing my own YouTube channel about my love of games too. These days, I'm one of the resident hardware nerds at GamesRadar+, and I take the lead on our coverage of gaming PCs, VR, controllers, gaming chairs, and content creation gear. Now, I better stop myself here before I get talking about my favourite games like HUNT: Showdown, Dishonored, and Towerfall Ascension.

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