People of Note is a 2026 musical role-playing action video game developed by Iridium Studios and published by Annapurna Interactive. It was released on April 7, 2026 for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X and S.
Plot
Cadence puts together a band of her own after her solo act was shut out by the judges of the Noteworthy Song Contest in the world of Note. The band members then travel in a quest to stop the Harmonic Convergence in wreaking havoc across the world’s musical energies.
Gameplay
People of Note is a turn-based role-playing game where each battle is presented as an interactive musical performance. Each of the bandmates have a different style of music to use in combat, from the rock music of Fret to the electronic music of Synthia. The players can also customize their characters’ movesets and adjust their perks through Songstones.[1]
Development and release
In September 2025, Annapurna Interactive announced People of Note from Iridium Studios, makers of There Came an Echo and Before the Echo, as a publisher to their game during Tokyo Game Show.[2] The game features original songs from the cast members with a score by Big Giant Circles. It was later announced on February 18, 2026, that the game will be released on April 7.[3]
The game is dedicated to Jeb and Andrew Kurtzman who both passed away before the game’s release.[citation needed]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (NS2) 67/100[4] (PC) 78/100[5] (PS5) 79/100[6] (XSXS) 76/100[7] |
| OpenCritic | 67% recommend[8] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 8/10[9] |
| GameSpot | 9/10[10] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4.5/5[11] |
| Nintendo World Report | 6.5/10[12] |
| Push Square | 7/10[13] |
| Shacknews | 7/10[14] |
People of Note received “generally favorable” reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4][5][6][7] Review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received “Strong” approval, being recommended by 67% of critics.[8]
Polygon thought the game managed to achieve a proper balance of the music and the gameplay, but felt the story wasn’t able to get the message across with a disjointed narrative.[15]
References
- ^ Higham, Michael (February 19, 2026). “People of Note Turns Music Genres Into RPG Mechanics, and It’s Got Me Tuned In”. IGN. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ^ Barker, Sammy (September 23, 2025). “People of Note Makes Pop Music an RPG Combat Mechanic on PS5″. Push Square. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ^ “People of Note – Official Release Date Trailer”. IGN. February 19, 2026. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ^ a b “People of Note for Nintendo Switch 2 Reviews”. Metacritic. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ a b “People of Note for PC Reviews”. Metacritic. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ a b “People of Note for PlayStation 5 Reviews”. Metacritic. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ a b “People of Note for Xbox Series X/S Reviews”. Metacritic. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ a b “People of Note Reviews”. OpenCritic. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ Duwe, Scott (April 7, 2026). “People of Note review – The power of music and a lot of heart”. Destructoid. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ^ Ramée, Jordan (7 April 2026). “This Turn-Based RPG Musical Is Fun But Drags A Bit In Act 3 | People Of Note Review”. GameSpot. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ Ignacchitti, Ivanir (7 April 2026). “Review: People of Note”. Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ Rudek, Jordan (April 7, 2026). “People of Note (Switch 2) Review”. Nintendo World Report. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
- ^ Barker, Sammy (7 April 2026). “Mixtape Review (PS5)”. Push Square. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ Mejia, Ozzie (7 April 2026). “People of Note review: Strike a chord”. Shacknews. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ^ Broadwell, Josh (April 7, 2026). “The musical RPG People of Note struggles to find its rhythm”. Polygon. Retrieved June 12, 2026.