Riot Games is teaming up with Beat Games to bring K/DA – POP/STARS to VR rhythm game Beat Saber.
The reception to League of Legend’s new k-pop girl group has been overwhelming. Waves of fanart and cosplays followed the band’s debut, and the K/DA-themed skin set was so popular that Riot released a prestige version for Akali.
One particularly popular piece of fan content was an unofficially produced level for Beat Saber, a rhythm game in which players slash blocks representing musical beats with a pair of in-game laser swords. A month following K/DA’s inauguration it was announced that Beat Saber would be releasing an official version of the level in a YouTube video starring group member Madison Beer.
The success of K/DA has extended beyond the world of League of Legends. The virtual pop group consists of the real life musical talents of American singers Madison Beer and Jaira Burns, as well as Soyeon and Miyeon of k-pop group (G)I-dle. The vocalists portrayed League champions Evelynn, Kai’sa, Akali, and Ahri in an official animated music video. The band’s first single reached the top spot on Billboard’s digital song sales, and its music video currently has 132 million views on YouTube.
Riot Games is exploring an untapped section of esports entertainment and is continuing to invest in growing their music production department. This surprise teamup is a byproduct of this expansion. Riot Games creative lead Viranda Tantula believes there is a prosperous future in the collaboration of music and esports.
“We believe there’s a huge overlap between League of Legends, esports overall and the music industry,” Tantula said.
The new Beat Saber level is now live and features its own unique K/DA-inspired stage including the group’s themed colors and two huge floating Evelynn claws encircling the play area.
