- Warbler Trophy Hotfix / minor bugs (1.5.09) - 15 July 2026
Another small, but meaningful round of bug fixes. Apologies for the wait on this one, especially to all of you achievement hunters out there.Major BugsThe fountain in Vivace Venue will now retroactively award the Warbler Trophy to players who have already located all birds in the area.Fixed an issue that occurred during the battle against SMR Larry which prevented players from successfully hitting all crescendo inputs in the sequence.Minor BugsLava Riffson will now properly display the correct number of hits dealt while previewing his crescendo intent.Returning to Tonehenge after defeating Lava Riffson will now properly focus the camera over the player character.Visual artifact present on the horizon line during the fight against SMR Larry have been repaired.Stability fixes for all Battle of the Bands cutscenes.Need to report a bug?If you are still encountering these or any other issues…
- Wolves Hotfix / minor bugs (1.5.08) + Community Hub Updates - 16 June 2026
Aside from a critical hotfix related to the cuties below, we would also like to share a couple of new forums that may be accessed through the Fretless Community Hub.Fixes up front, hub stuff at the bottom.Major bugsSkipping cutscenes related to Jones and the Tunedra wolves will no longer hard-lock the game or corrupt save files.The Xylomander Babies' passive ability will no longer continue to deal damage after they have been defeated in combat. minor bugsFix for the player character sometimes being put on the incorrect sorting layer after riding elevators.Transitioning back into the waterway under Vivace Venue before round 2 of Battle of the Bands will now load into the correct location.Crescendo meters in the player menu will now always display the correct value.Fixed an issue that caused item buy panels to wiggle off screen after repeated failed purchase attempts.The shred button in c…
- SHRED AGAIN - 11 June 2026
Thank You Shredders!It's been almost a year since Fretless hit the main stage! Watching players bob their heads to the beat as they shred their way through our guitaRPG has been an absolute blast! Before we stage dive in, we would like to express a MASSIVE THANK YOU to all players, and everyone else who has participated in sharing Fretless since launch. Without your presence we would never have been able to surf the crowd.It continues to be a wild ride for us. We've made some new friends, and needless to say it's about time to get back on tour. For this, we've got a small update available to ensure Fretless remains looking sharp as you take your Steam library on the road this summer.Steam Deck VerifiedNearly all game menus have been revisited and text sizes have been increased across the (fret) board. Returning players may notice slight adjustments here and there, but overall these chan…
- Menu UI and Font Updates - 11 June 2026
This is the first of multiple updates planned which aim to improve the overall quality of the game. Player menus have been adjusted to allow for larger font sizes. Fonts have been reconfigured to improve legibility at lower resolutions. Pop up panels in combat have been made darker to enhance contrast against game text. We are aware of the many common bugs players have been encountering (wolves, doggies, tennis balls, oh my!) and will be rolling out additional patches in the near future to address them. Thank you for shredding! - Max
- Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson _Minor Update - 7 October 2025
Minor Fixes If you’re facing any other issues, please report them here: https://playdigious.helpshift.com/hc/en/31-fretless---the-wrath-of-riffson/contact-us/
- Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson's Accolade Trailer is here! - 29 September 2025
Dear Music lovers, After years of development and creativity, the Fretless Team is excited to show you the game's Accolade Trailer!We thank you all so much for your support and feedback on our musical passion project. Another great news we have to share: Fretless is part of the Autumn Sale at 15% off! We hope you enjoy the game and it's heart-warming, musical universe. The Fretless Team
- Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson, release note for patch 3, build 19804628 - 3 September 2025
Fixed issues, new content: Fixed the passive of the RCA-TT-ACK monster Fixed descriptions for 8 String crescendo (from 20 damage per input to 2 damage per input) More fixes for battle not ending Fix for the Carbon Copy mod softlock if it tries to copy an empty slot Fix for fighting Oboe-A-Constrictor softlock when using Sapphire Skies Pedal Various English and French typo fixes Improved Rebinding on controller Added PS4 and PS5 controller support (need to disable steam input) Added Russian! Known issues: KBM rebinding of QTE input still has issues (but can be worked around by closing and reopening the menu) Double KO with a boss can lead to missing riff visuals (relaunching the game solves it) The wolves cutscene can fail to end (relaunching the game solves it) The camera is misplaced when returning to Tonehenge after the bossfight To report new issues: If you’re facing any other issues…
- Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson_Patch note 1.2.7171 - 6 August 2025
Confirmed fixes Minor Timber fall's cutscene character locked against a rock Tunedra Relic Tree cutscene character locked against a rock Sound Blaster visual remaining on the character Gold String Mod was twice in the game Riffsons' attacks won't trigger Synth Frequency anymore Major Softlock against Groove Wizards Softlock when finishing an added wave with Flat wound string mod Softlock when killing some boss with some crescendos Crooked Boost now does AOE damage, as designed Important: make it easier for customer support to get in touch with youIf you’re facing any other issues, please report them here: https://playdigious.helpshift.com/hc/en/31-fretless---the-wrath-of-riffson/contact-us/
- Fretless, patch 1, build 1.1.7152 - 29 July 2025
Fixed issue: After beating Riffson and reloading save, you restart in the cutscene instead of outside the office Fixed issue: Blocked at drop dee beach Fixed issue: Additive Synthesis french trad error Fixed issue: Invisible block with colision in tunedra Fixed issue: Fix incorrect characters in the credits Fixed issue: The accoustic skill : Reverberate + isn’t translated in the riffbook Fixed issue: Fix to bug caused when dying to the Xylomander when the eggs passive effect triggers. Fixed issue: Minor localization update
- Fretless is out now! - 17 July 2025
It seems unreal, but it's true: Fretless is now available! 🎸After two years of tuning guitars, composing riffs, and dancing with percushrooms, the whole team is proud to present its guitar-pg made by music lovers for music lovers.We hope you enjoy discovering this musical world filled with melodious monsters and groovy rascals! Get 10% off the game until July 24th! You can also listen to the official Fretless soundtrack here if you wanna keep on rocking. 🤘Once again, we awant to thank you all for your support, smiles, and love for the music. The RItual Studios team.
- Fretless is coming to Steam July 17th 2025! - 24 June 2025
The wait is almost over: Fretless gets a new release date and is coming to Steam on July 17th 2025 !Get a look at out new reveal date trailer here: Can't wait to shred before July? Check out the Fretless Demo for some musical action right now!
- Fretless is coming to PC this Summer - 20 May 2025
Hey everyone, We wanted to share an important update regarding Fretless. As you know, the release of Fretless is scheduled for next week. We've made the decision to postpone the launch: Fretless will now release this Summer. This wasn't a decision we took lightly, but it's one we made with care-we need those extra weeks to polish the game, tune in our guitars, and ensure Fretless delivers the quality and creativity we know it's capable of, reflecting its full potential. We firmly believe that this delay will result in a significantly better experience for players. The Battle of the Bands will be ready to welcome you and hear your best and strongest riffs by then. We thank you for your understanding and continued support. Ritual Studios and Playdigious.
- The Fretless OST Vinyl is coming this Summer. Pre-order it now! - 25 April 2025
The official Fretless Vinyl is coming this Summer and available for pre-order now! King Yosef and Ola Englund round off the list of artists already announced alongside Northlane, Andrew Huang, Davie504, Cult of Luna, Rabea Massaad, Yvette Young and Mary Spender. Players can pre-order the Vinyl directly on G4F records ! Meet our latest guests : King Yosef and Ola Englund King Yosef is a producer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist from Portland, Oregon, known for fusing the aggression of industrial and metal with the emotional rawness of hip-hop and punk. Emerging from the underground scene, he gained recognition through collaborations with artists like Youth Code and his work with the late rapper XXXTentacion, helping define a gritty, genre-defying aesthetic. In Fretless, King Yosef has composed the theme of the HarperBeast, a musical flying monster waiting for you in the crystal caves…
- Say hi to our special demo guest: Davie504! - 24 February 2025
Bass heads also get a special surprise for Steam Next Fest with Davie504 joining Fretless as an NPC and OST guest! Combining slapping humor with highly technical skills, Italy-based Davie504 has become one of YouTube's most prolific bass players, accumulating more than 14 million subscribers over the years. His meme culture-inspired musical skits, combined with snappy musical reviews, have shined a new light on the often-overlooked art of bass. Come meet him in Harmony Heights. He might greet you with a bass solo. "Settlement," the OST single featuring Davie504, is available now on all listening platforms!
- The new demo is available now! - 21 February 2025
Our new demo is available now! Explore the first world of Fretless entirely in an updated demo! Venture into the new Dissonant Thicket area to encounter its boss, the vibrant Auxarachnid, waiting to catch you on its web. Hit the new rhythm-based QTEs in battle to maximize riff efficiency and beat your enemies with sick solos and crescendos! Customize your musical adventure with new mods to add to your instruments and new riffs to play on your bass and acoustic guitars! NEW FEATURES: - New boss fight: cross riffs with the Auxarachnid in the Dissonant Thicket - New QTE system: stay on the beat to out-solo your foes - New riffs and mods to customize your adventure: add depth to your bass and swing to your acoustic guitar to beat musical monsters and goons - New tutorialization: learn Fretless' mechanics and riff systems at your own pace, step by step. Get ready to rock this weekend!
- Welcome to the Industry: Northlane joins the Fretless OST! - 12 November 2024
As seen during Save&Sound 2024, we have revealed that Northlane is banding together with Ritual Studios to be part of the game's OST, embodying the essence of Super Metal Records. Discover their exclusive track, Welcome to the Industry, on all streaming platforms now!
- Get ready to rock: Fretless is part of Save&Sound 2024! - 5 November 2024
As part of Save&Sound week, Fretless' very own Rob Scallon and Jeff Linville have produced an audio performance... With an exclusive surprise! Stay tuned and watch the Save & Sound livestream to discover an exclusive track from the game and a few special announcement. Comme headbang with us on November 5th - 10 AM PST / 7PM CET and give our demo a try if you want to explore Fretless' musical world and discover its zany characters!
- Discover new artworks for the game - and the demo live for a week! - 21 November 2023
The musical world of Fretless keeps expanding with new artworks by artists David Thor Fjarlason (Dead Cells) and Mari Quinto (Lumi and the Great Big Galaxy) that give us a new glance at the game’s colorful and zany characters. To celebrate the occasion, the free game demo (first revealed during Steam’s Save&Sound event) will be available again on Steam for a week from November 20th to November 26th! David Thor Fjarlason’s new key art immerses us in the game’s music-inspired environments, where instruments mingle with nature to create new architecture and landscapes - the perfect arenas for turned-based music battles! Mari Quinto’s vibrant character arts give us a glimpse of Fretless’ colorful personalities: Rob, the friendly musician fighting to restore harmony, inspired by Rob Scallon Rick Riffson, Super Metal Records’ boss, trying to own every piece of music with his soul-binding cont…
- Get more Fretless during the weekend: Demo is available until Sunday! - 15 September 2023
As Save&Sound 2023 came to a close, we decided to get the show going during the weekend with a few surprises: - For those who didn't get the chance to shred or pet the dog this week, we've extended demo availability until Sunday. This gives you plenty of time to run in the Bell flowers, fine tune your strategy agains SMR Larry, and maybe find a few power-ups hidden around the map ;) - Rob Scallon, the inspiration behind the game and our main character, has tried out the demo for the first time this week and his reaction was priceless. Discover his first impressions and a few anecdotes about the game in a special broadcast on our Steam page, airing all weekend! You might also recognize someone familiar in the video... Fretless' demo is available until Sunday, 8 PM CET / 2 PM ET. After that, you must say goodbye to the Percushrooms for a while. Yes, you do. Don't forget to wishlist the ga…
- Learn more about music in Fretless with Jeff... and Jeff! - 12 September 2023
Fretless' combat system is centered around music: guitars are weapons, and melody is power! As you choose your instrument, you'll have to select your favorite riffs to defeat your enemies in awesome music battles. How does it work behind the scenes? How do you create music-centered combats that are exciting to hear and interesting to play? As part of Save&Sound week, Fretless' music composers Jeff and Jeff have produced an audio deep-dive explaining the game's particular battle system and how music is created. Discover everything from the tools they use on our Steam page Broadcast! Feel the music in real-time by downloading the demo today and make sure to wishlist the game to get the full experience in 2024 🤘 If you wanna know more about the game, make sure to follow our newsletter and follow us on X, TikTok, and YouTube.
