[TF Focus] The Return of 'K-Pop of Legends'... The Enduring Presence of K/DA's Soyeon&Miyeon

'League of Legends' K-pop Project K/DA Makes a Comeback After 6 YearsSoyeon and Miyeon's Presence Remains StrongK/DA, a K-pop group composed of 'League of Legends' characters Ahri, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa (from left to right, clockwise), has released a new single 'FIRESTARTER' after approximately 6 years. / Riot Games[THE FACT|Reporter Choi Hyun-jung] K/DA, the legendary group that once colored Summoner's Rift with K-pop, has made a full-fledged comeback after a remarkable 6-year hiatus.Riot Games, the developer of the game 'League of Legends,' surprised fans by releasing the new single 'FIRESTARTER' and its music video on the 20th of last month, announcing their 'complete group comeback.'The reason for K/DA's welcome return lies in the immense influence their debut had on the K-pop and gaming industries.K/DA, unveiled in 2018 to commemorate the 'League of Legends 2018 World Championship' held in Korea, is a virtual girl group of four members, consisting of 'League of Legends' characters Ahri, Evelynn, Kai'Sa, and Akali.In reality, setting game characters as idols or singers, or releasing game OSTs through them, was a relatively common marketing tactic that could be found even before K/DA.However, K/DA took it a step further by connecting each character to real singers, blurring the lines between virtual and reality, and successfully achieving explosive popularity.In K/DA's debut song 'POP/STARS,' released on November 4, 2018, Ahri and Akali were voiced by (G)I-DLE's MIYEON and SOYEON, respectively, while Evelynn and Kai'Sa were sung by Madison Beer and Jaira Burns. They even performed a live stage at the 'League of Legends 2018 World Championship' finals held at the Incheon Munhak Stadium on November 3rd.This is the first instance of a K-pop group being formed by directly matching game characters with real singers, complete with live performances and music releases.Furthermore, Riot Games did not plan K/DA as a one-time project solely for the 'League of Legends 2018 World Championship.' They filled the main screen of the 'League of Legends' game client with the 'POP/STARS' music video and K/DA characters, and released K/DA skins within the game, allowing for continuous content enjoyment.(G)I-DLE's SOYEON (left) has been portraying the character Akali since K/DA's formation. Akali is considered the most popular member of K/DA. / THE FACT DB, Riot GamesBeyond the game, they released interviews with K/DA members Ahri, Evelynn, Kai'Sa, and Akali, as well as a performance video of 'POP/STARS.' In July 2020, (G)I-DLE performed their version of 'POP/STARS' at their online concert 'I-LAND: Who Am I,' receiving a positive response.The activities that spanned both within and outside the game, combined with critical acclaim for the music itself, created immense synergy. The 'POP/STARS' music video surpassed 10 million views on YouTube within two days of its release and exceeded 100 million views on December 4, 2018, just 31 days after its release.As of October 26, 2026, the music video has garnered an impressive 671.1 million views on YouTube.Moreover, 'POP/STARS' achieved notable success on domestic and international music charts, a rarity for music derived from a game IP. The song reached 7th place on the Bugs real-time chart, 57th on the Melon real-time chart, and 1st on the iTunes K-pop chart, and climbed to 12th place on the US iTunes chart.The popularity of 'POP/STARS' also set a lasting record in K-pop history. In August 2022, K/DA's 'POP/STARS' received a Platinum certification (over 1 million units sold) from the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), marking the first such achievement for any K-pop girl group.Following K/DA, the next K-pop girl group to achieve RIAA Platinum certification was TWICE with 'Strategy' in November 2025, over three years later.Another testament to the immense popularity of K/DA and 'POP/STARS' at the time is that the K/DA character skins in 'League of Legends' became the best-selling in-game items of all time. Toa Dunn, Head of Music at Riot Games, testified that the number of users who started playing 'League of Legends' through K/DA significantly increased.Conversely, many existing 'League of Legends' players who were not familiar with K-pop began listening to it thanks to K/DA.K/DA, achieving immense success upon their debut, made a comeback in November 2020 with their second EP 'ALL OUT.' What was interesting about 'ALL OUT' was that K/DA's promotions closely mirrored those of real K-pop groups.While the title track 'More' from the 'ALL OUT' album featured all members, the other B-side tracks were produced by each member, highlighting their individual styles. This is a common album structure for K-pop girl group mini-albums.Additionally, leading up to the release of 'ALL OUT,' they operated official Instagram and X (Twitter) accounts to release promotional content and even announced an 'official light stick' and the fandom name 'BLADES.'(G)I-DLE's MIYEON (left) plays the character Ahri in K/DA. Ahri is the founder of K/DA. / THE FACT DB, Riot GamesAlthough 'ALL OUT' did not create the same sensation as 'POP/STARS,' it is recognized as a prime example of how game IPs and K-pop can combine to create new content.Following this, other game companies also actively pursued collaborations with K-pop. Notably, 'Overwatch 2' released the collaboration 'Perfect Night' with the group LE SSERAFIM, and the game 'Battlegrounds' presented the collaboration song 'Ready For Love' with Black Pink.'Perfect Night' is still considered LE SSERAFIM's biggest hit to date and led to a second collaboration, 'Made My Night.'As seen from these examples, K/DA is considered a monumental case that significantly expanded the realm of K-pop beyond mere collaborations between games and K-pop.Furthermore, during the 6 years K/DA was inactive, K-pop has grown considerably in the global music market. Consequently, interest in K/DA's return after 6 years has naturally increased.What's particularly noteworthy about K/DA's comeback is the presence of Soyeon and Miyeon. For 'FIRESTARTER,' Sophie Powers and Mimi Webb have joined, replacing Madison Beer and Jaira Burns who previously voiced Evelynn and Kai'Sa, but Soyeon and Miyeon have remained.This signifies that Soyeon and Miyeon are central to K/DA's musical identity and core. In fact, K/DA is set up as a group formed by Ahri, played by Miyeon, and Akali, played by Soyeon, has been considered the most popular member of K/DA since 'POP/STARS.'In 'FIRESTARTER,' Akali's "creak creak-creak" rap is considered a 'killing part' and is featured prominently in 'League of Legends.'The fact that K/DA, after a 6-year hiatus, is still generating significant buzz and maintaining its unique musical color is largely attributable to the presence of Soyeon and Miyeon.The continued popularity of K/DA, with Soyeon and Miyeon at its core, is also evident in actual performance metrics. Despite a long 6-year hiatus and some vocal changes, K/DA's 'FIRESTARTER' music video surpassed 9.2 million views on YouTube within 24 hours of its release and exceeded 27.85 million views as of the 26th.K/DA's new song 'FIRESTARTER' surpassed 27.85 million YouTube views within 7 days of its release and has secured a spot on various music charts, demonstrating its enduring popularity. / Screenshot from the League of Legends YouTube channelThe song also reached a peak of 32nd on the Spotify Global Daily Chart and entered the Korean Melon HOT100 chart.This serves as proof that interest and anticipation for K/DA remain strong despite a 6-year hiatus, with Soyeon and Miyeon at the center of it all.Naturally, Soyeon and Miyeon are also deeply committed to K/DA's activities. A representative from Cube Entertainment, (G)I-DLE's agency, told , "K/DA is a project that SOYEON and MIYEON also have great affection for. They are greatly looking forward to the live performance at the 'League of Legends 2026 World Championship' and are diligently preparing their performance. We ask for your keen interest in the live stage K/DA will present."K/DA is considered a case that has created a 'legend' not only in K-pop but also in the gaming industry. With the combination of games and K-pop now established as a successful content model, attention is focused on whether K/DA, returning after 6 years, can once again 'ignite a new fire.'K/DA is scheduled to perform at the opening ceremony of the 'League of Legends 2026 World Championship' finals in New York on November 14th.laugardagr@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]