PUMP IT UP R!SE: The Arcade Dance Revolution Lands on Steam

After 25 years as a staple in arcades around the world, Pump It Up is stepping onto a new stage: the PC. With the launch of Pump It Up: R!SE in Early Access on Steam, Andamiro is officially bringing its legendary rhythm game franchise to a global home audience.

For longtime fans, it’s a long-awaited move. For newcomers, it’s a chance to discover the five-panel dance game that helped define the genre — no dance pad required.

A New Platform, A New Chapter

Pump It Up: R!SE is the first official PC adaptation of Andamiro’s iconic arcade game. Developed by the M-Team at Andamiro HQ in South Korea, the title was built from the ground up for keyboard, gamepad and Steam Deck play.

Steam, for those unfamiliar, is the world’s largest digital platform for PC games — a virtual storefront and community hub developed by Valve, the company behind Half-Life and Portal. Steam also powers the Steam Deck, Valve’s handheld PC gaming device that runs full Steam games on the go. With compatibility across all three input styles, R!SE brings Pump It Up to living rooms, laptops, and backpacks.

Challenges of the Home Experience

According to Andamiro’s Music-Team leader Mr. Changhee Son (a.k.a. Macnom), one of the biggest development challenges was rethinking the game’s user interface. “Unlike other rhythm games,” he explained, “we needed a design that could display well on both Steam Deck’s small screen and large PC monitors.” The UI had to be clean, readable and intuitive across all devices.

The team also had to reconsider how Pump It Up’s signature charting — often designed for footwork — would feel using thumbs and fingers. “We spent a lot of time adjusting chart layouts to play naturally on keyboard and gamepad,” Mr. Son said. Especially on gamepads, where only two thumbs control movement, higher-difficulty charts had to be rebalanced to retain the game’s intensity without overwhelming the controls.

A Soundtrack Built for R!SE

R!SE launches with more than 200 songs, and while it retains the visual and mechanical DNA of the arcade series, the music library takes a new direction. K-pop tracks — a defining element of the Pump It Up arcade experience — are largely absent for now due to licensing challenges. Instead, R!SE features original compositions by renowned rhythm game artists, offering a more casual and varied sound palette. It’s different from the arcade formula, but still true to the spirit of discovery and musical diversity.

What R!SE Stands For

Beyond gameplay, R!SE carries symbolic weight. “The title literally expresses our hope that a new generation of players will be attracted through the Steam platform,” the M-Team chief said. Even the stylized title — replacing the “I” with an exclamation point — nods to the original PUMP IT UP! title from 1999. “We wanted to remember the starting point of the series while welcoming a new era.”

Looking Ahead

Now available in Early Access, Pump It Up: R!SE will continue to evolve with player feedback. The team plans regular updates leading up to its full release, targeted for January 2026. The Early Access version supports multiple languages, includes full control remapping and features gameplay modes tailored for different skill levels — including Warm-Up, Division and Challenge.

Whether you’re a veteran PIU dancer or a newcomer curious about rhythm games, R!SE makes it easier than ever to step in.

Check out these links:

🎮 Play Now on Steam
📺 Game Introduction Video
🎵 Song Teaser
🌐 Pump It Up Main Page