On 18 May, Muse released “Dig Down”, the first single from their eighth album. “Thought Contagion”, the second single, was released on 15 February 2018, accompanied by an 1980s-styled music video.
On 30 August 2018, they announced their eighth studio album, Simulation Theory, to be released on 9 November. The announcement was accompanied by another single and video, "The Dark Side"
The Simulation Theory World Tour
The Simulation Theory World Tour began in Houston on 3 February 2019 and concluded on 15 October in Lima. A film based on the album and tour, Muse – Simulation Theory, combining concert footage and narrative scenes, was released in August 2020.
Numerous acts appeared as the opening act, including Tom Morello, Walk the Moon, Nothing But Thieves and SWMRS.