Blackpink to hold K-pop’s first in-game concert on PUBG mobile game

Blackpink, the female K-pop idol group, will hold an in-game concert, the first such event by Korean pop artists, in collaboration with Krafton Inc.'s PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile.

YG Entertainment Inc., the label behind the South Korean girl group, said on Tuesday that the four members, via their three-dimensional (3D) avatars, will perform at the concert “The Virtual” later this month.

Holding a music concert in the online game world is rare for Korean K-pop artists.

In September 2000, boyband sensation BTS unveiled the choreography of the group’s new song Dynamite on the online entertainment platform Fortnite.

“The concert will provide Blackpink’s fans with a new, unique experience, different from their real-world concerts. Their performance will be complete with motion-capture technology, adding a lifelike vibe similar to real concerts,” said YG Entertainment.

SECOND COLLABORATION

PUBG Mobile players in North and South America will be able to join the in-game concert on July 22-23 and July 29-30 local time. For the rest of the world, the concert will take place on July 23-24 and July 30-31 Seoul time.

YG Entertainment and Krafton, one of South Korea’s major game developers, previously collaborated on the launch of Blackpink’s record The Album in 2020 when Krafton used songs from the album as the PUBG Mobile’s background music.

The in-game concert comes ahead of the four singers’ return to the K-pop arena in August, the first as a group after a 20-month hiatus.

The female idols will reveal a special track as well as their hit songs at The Virtual, according to the management agency.

Performance outfits worn by Blackpink’s four members – Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa – and their voices will also be available for PUBG players for use on the battlefield.

KRAFTON ENTERS THE METAVERSE SPACE

Last December, Krafton said it will invest 5 billion won ($4.2 million) in Zepeto, a metaverse platform operated by Naver Z Corp., a unit of the country’s top internet portal Naver Corp. to look for business opportunities in the fast-growing digital world.

Zepeto is particularly popular among Gen Z users as the metaverse platform offers a 3D avatar fan community service with K-pop idols such as Blackpink and TWICE. Global luxury brands such as Gucci and DIOR have also showcased their new products on Zepeto.

Write to Jun-sik Bang at Silv0000@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.