By Sagar V. Mankar K-pop and gaming collaborations are becoming more popular. In recent years, we’ve seen exciting partnerships between these two worlds, creating unique experiences for fans of both industries.
Some notable examples include Overwatch 2 teaming up with LE SSERAFIM, PUBG joining forces with BLACKPINK, League of Legends creating the virtual K-pop group K/DA, and Fortnite featuring BTS. These collaborations always create a buzz among fans.
Just last week, we saw another exciting partnership when the K-pop girl group NewJeans made a surprise appearance in PUBG, Krafton’s popular battle royale game. They brought lots of new skins and costumes for players to enjoy. This collab was a big hit, with the number of players reaching 661,283 on June 13, according to Steam statistics.
Before that, aespa and Pokémon Go worked together on an event called ‘Aespa Pick.’ From June 3 to June 17, fans could participate in a quiz on Pokémon Korea’s Instagram channel, guessing which Pokémon the aespa members liked best. Winners received in-game items as prizes.
These collaborations are great for both K-pop and gaming industries. They help each other reach new audiences and create exciting content. Here’s why these partnerships are so successful:
- They increase brand visibility for both sides.
- They keep fans more engaged and interested.
- They create new ways to make money (Microtransactions).
- They inspire creative and innovative content.
This trend of K-pop and gaming working together isn’t slowing down. There are some exciting projects coming up that fans should watch out for:
BTS’s New Game: BTS Cooking On
After BTS World, SuperStar BTS, and Rhythm Hive, BTS fans are in for a treat with the upcoming game “BTS Cooking On: TinyTAN Restaurant.”
It’s a cooking simulation mobile game featuring TinyTAN, cute animated versions of the BTS members.
Developed by Com2uS, the game will be available in 11 languages and released in about 170 countries, so fans all over the world can enjoy it.
Gameplay of the game include:
- Managing restaurants with TinyTAN characters
- Collecting items while exploring different cities
- Crafting dishes
- Collecting TinyTAN character photocards
- Enjoying BTS music on customized stages
The game is expected to launch in Aug 2024, and fans can pre-register now on Google Play and the App Store.
SM Game Station
SM Entertainment, another big name in K-pop, is also getting into gaming. They’re working with Kakao Games to create a mobile game called “SM GAME STATION.”
In this game, players will act as managers for top K-pop artists from SM Entertainment.
The game will turn real activities and schedules of SM artists into fun mini-games.
Players can collect digital photocards of their favorite idols and customize them.
The game will also have special events to celebrate idols’ birthdays and anniversaries, making it feel connected to the artists’ real lives.
These new games and collaborations show how K-pop and gaming are finding creative ways to work together. They’re giving fans new and exciting ways to connect with their favorite artists and enjoy both music and games at the same time. It’s an exciting time for fans of both K-pop and gaming!