Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends, is known not only for its popular video game, but also for its involvement in the music industry. The company recently announced a new feature project that will combine real-life singers with fictional characters to create a new musical group. Ezreal, Kane, Aphelios, Yone, K’Sante and Sett have joined forces to form Heartsteel, a boy band that will release their first song on October 23 at 5:00 p.m. Spanish time. The single, titled “Paranoia”, features the voices of famous artists and will have a significant impact on the evolution of video games.
Heartsteel is not just a one-off project. There is potential for more content in the future, depending on community response. Such was the case with K/DA and Pentakill, two fictional groups that surprised fans with more songs than expected. However, it’s hard to predict what the future holds for Heartsteel beyond their debut single. True Damage, another fictional band created by Riot Games, was well received, but despite its success, only released one song.
The actual voice artists behind each character in Heartsteel come from different backgrounds. The boy band consists of Baekhyun (Ezreal), a K-pop singer; Cal Scruby (Kane), rapper from Los Angeles; ØZI (Sett), rapper from Taiwan; and Toby Lou (K’Sante), an artist who combines hip-hop, R&B and pop. Notably, K’Sante is the League of Legends champion most closely associated with music. Lil Nas X was involved in the creation of one of his early skins, and the champion’s story appears to be inspired by the American singer.
For League of Legends as a video game, the arrival of Heartsteel means that players can expect new skins for these six champions in the next updates, which will likely begin on November 8th. These cosmetic items are highly anticipated by both the company and players due to their extensive promotional campaigns, high-quality designs, and the ability of fans to feel represented through them.
Additionally, although not officially announced, Worlds 2023, especially the grand finals on November 19, is expected to feature live performances from real-life Heartsteel artists. This is in keeping with past traditions of live bands performing during the opening ceremony, with the tournament’s theme music being the focus.
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