Insider Gaming spoke with Alex Shahmiri, Riot Games Principal Brand Manager, for a behind-the-scenes look at K/DA’s long-awaited return.
This weekend, K/DA and True Damage will perform in the LoL Worlds 2026 final opening ceremony after hiatuses of over six years.
And Riot has brought a collection of K/DA, True Damage, and HEARTSTEEL music videos to Netflix following the bands’ comebacks.
Ahead of the Worlds final, Shahmiri spoke on whether K/DA’s return was influenced by KPop Demon Hunters’ success, why True Damage was picked for the Worlds 2026 anthem, and the possibility of a live League of Legends music tour.
When was it decided that K/DA would be brought back? Were there any occasions where it almost happened sooner?
We had discussed bringing back K/DA for quite some time, but the timing was never quite right.
We had started talking more seriously about having them return in early 2025, because it had already been five years since their last release and from there we began developing our plans.
Generally speaking though, my hope is that if/when we are able to bring virtual artists back, they’re showing up in ways that we haven’t seen before.
Leading on from that, when did Riot decide on the music theme for Act 3 and decide to bring back all the LoL bands and music acts?
As with most projects, there was a lot of back and forth before we officially locked the return of the bands during Act 3.
We had to get buy-in across Riot, coordinate with a lot of different teams, including RGM (Revenue Growth Management), and make sure that we weren’t just repeating the exact same playbook we’ve used for past virtual artist releases.
A lot of work goes into all the content and music, as you can imagine, so the decision was made early enough to give us enough time to deliver.
Did the success of KPop Demon Hunters influence the decision and timing to bring K/DA back? I seem to remember a lot of community talk about K/DA when the film released
Not at all. We’ve always believed in virtual groups and seeing KPop Demon Hunters was a bit of an all-boats-rise moment.
I was personally thrilled to see how well they were doing because it meant there would be more people around the world who are open to the idea of virtual artists and K-pop.
In a way, it opened a door for new audiences to discover K/DA while they were learning about KPop Demon Hunters.
I held off on watching KPop Demon Hunters for as long as I could because I didn’t want to be influenced by what they were doing – so it was all respect and love for their work.
So what was the process like of then bringing all these bands back at the same time? Once the decision was made, what were the first steps?
It was a massive labor of love from folks all across Riot.
We’d never had multiple virtual artists all release music in the same season, so we needed to rally all the teams to drive toward this moment.
Once we got approval to proceed, it really became a roadshow of getting everyone excited about the potential for this moment.
How do you then decide the themes for each band’s song and ensure the aims of each music release affect every department working on the game?
Several factors go into the decision-making process for what we’re trying to achieve with a band’s return.
Generally, when it comes to the music, it’s really about coming up with what’s the story each group is trying to say with their release, and how does that fit into the larger narrative around League?
With HEARTSTEEL, Paranoia was a period where the boys didn’t really know if they’d make it or not and were still finding their way. So Live My Life really became a song about how they learned to let go of some of their insecurities and became closer as a band.
Whereas with K/DA, this was a moment of transformation for them, where they are coming into their own and are owning their place in the industry.
There’s a lot of nuance in who makes the decisions, but we wanted to ensure that we had a cohesive vision for each group that could then unlock every department working through this moment.
Why was True Damage chosen for this year’s Worlds Anthem instead of K/DA?
With Worlds being in North America this year, we wanted to pay respect to both True Damage’s sound and New York being the birthplace of hip-hop.
We also thought that, narratively, True Damage fit with what the tournament encompasses to our players.
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Why was the lineup of K/DA’s musicians changed? Were there talks of bringing back the original lineup?
Artists featured in our virtual band are collaborators to the members. This allows K/DA, True Damage, and HEARTSTEEL to welcome a larger roster of amazingly talented musicians to join them and to add to their sonic vision.
We always strive to find artists that fit the member’s voice and tone for the song, while also introducing something unique to the mix.
We have all the love and appreciation for the artists who have collaborated with us previously, and it’s never about replacing them – it’s more about diversifying the pool of artists who can embody each one of these characters.
Have there ever been discussions of a K/DA live concert or tour?
Given we’re talking about artists and music, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that a concert of some kind was raised during the development process.
I think it’s something that would be incredible if we can find a way to create a satisfying experience for players around the world.
But for now, having them appear at the Opening Ceremony of Worlds 2026 is the best way we feel we can do that. We hope everyone is looking forward to their return to the stage in New York!
Which of the new songs from LoL virtual bands is your favorite? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord.
Additionally, see what Sophie Powers told Insider Gaming about replacing Madison Beer in K/DA. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
An esports journalist for nine years with a focus on LoL Jack has written for national newspapers, interviewed major names, and driven people mad with puns. He's most proud of…
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