By Sagar Mankar 
PUBG, a popular battle royale game by Krafton, recently teamed up with NewJeans, a young K-pop girl group featuring five members: Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein.
The idea was exciting – players could use NewJeans characters in the game and wear costumes inspired by the group’s stage outfits. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse.
What Went Wrong?
Some players started misusing these characters, dressing them in revealing outfits using other in-game costumes like bikinis, swimsuits, and shorts.
This caused outrage among Korean fans because all NewJeans members are under 18. Many people saw this as sexual harassment of minors.
Angry fans took to social media to express their disappointment. They criticized both PUBG’s developer, Krafton, and NewJeans’ management company, Adore.
“I was worried this might happen,” one fan said.
“Why would anyone do this?” another wondered.
Some defended the game, saying, “These characters don’t even look like the real members.”
Some felt the collaboration was a bad idea from the start, while others blamed the players who created inappropriate content.
But the controversy didn’t stop there. It sparked a wider debate about PUBG’s gaming policies and recent loot box issues. Some fans lost faith in the game, saying things like:
“I’m disappointed in PUBG.”
“My love for this game is almost gone.”
How Did Krafton and Adore Respond?
Krafton and Adore quickly responded. They released a joint statement on June 20, saying they don’t approve of the inappropriate content.
They promised to protect the artists and keep the game community positive.
Here’s what they plan to do:
- Change some in-game items
- Enforce stricter community rules
- Remove problematic posts
- Ask players to report inappropriate content
[Update: June 26] Later on, Krafton announces customization limit update + refund options for NewJeans x ‘PUBG: Battleground’ skins.
Starting June 27, these collaboration skins will be subject to customization restrictions.
19 customization items, including ‘military shorts’, ‘cat shorts’, ‘leopard bikinis’, etc., are included in the list of items that cannot be used with the collaboration skins.
Gamers who purchased bundles containing these restricted outfits between June 12 and 27 can apply for reimbursement in the form of in-game currency from July 3 until Aug. 2.
The PC version update will be rolled out after July 10 KST.
What Does This Mean for the Future?
This situation shows how tricky it can be to mix real people with video games. It’s especially complicated when young celebrities are involved.
Not everyone agrees it’s a problem, though. Some players think it’s not a big deal, saying:
“It’s just a game.”
“They paid for the characters, so what’s the problem?”
However, many believe that stronger guidelines are needed to protect young artists in the future.
Upcoming Kpop-Gaming collaborations
Despite this setback, K-pop and gaming collaborations remain popular.
We’ve seen successful partnerships like Overwatch 2 x LE SSERAFIM, PUBG x BLACKPINK, League of Legends x K/DA, and Fortnite x BTS.
Looking ahead, there are more exciting projects on the horizon:
- aespa is joining Pokémon Go for a special event
- BTS characters will star in a cooking game – “BTS Cooking On: TinyTAN Restaurant“
- SM Entertainment artists will feature in a K-pop management game – “SM Game Station“
These partnerships are a win-win. They give K-pop fans new ways to enjoy their favorite stars and help gaming companies reach new audiences. It’s an exciting trend to watch!
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Stop saying all members are under 18.
Krafton is a terrible, terrible, money-hungry and shady company and I would like nothing better than to blame this on them, but this is on Adore. They didn’t do their homework and somehow let a 16 year old’s image into an adult rated game.