Baekhyun to lend voice to Riot Games' virtual band Heartsteel

Baekhyun of EXO has joined Riot Games' latest virtual boy band, Heartsteel, as the vocalist for character Ezreal. Heartsteel will debut on October 24 with their single "Paranoia." Other global artists are also part of the band.

LoL-themed virtual boy band, Heartsteel [RIOT GAMES]

Baekhyun of EXO will be lending his voice to Ezreal, a member of Heartsteel, the latest virtual band to debut from Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends (LoL) said Tuesday. Heartsteel made its debut on the same day. The boy band is Riot Games' latest virtual boy band following K/DA, Pentakill, and True Damage.

The company said that the band’s first single “Paranoia” will drop on Oct. 24 and will be available on major streaming platforms.

Heartsteel's six members are reimagined versions of six LoL champions — Ezreal, Kayn, Aphelios, Yone, K’Sante and Sett. The company said Baekhyun's Ezreal will be one of the vocalists of the band. Other global artists have also joined the project including Cal Scruby (Kayn), Øzi (Sett) and Tobi Lou (K'Sante).

Baekhyun is a member of boy band EXO and SuperM that debuted in 2012. He began his solo career in 2019 with “City Lights.”

“We were able to introduce ‘Heartsteel’ thanks to the close collaboration between a talented creative team and amazing global artists,” said Maria Egan, Global Head of Music & Events at Riot Games Entertainment through a press release.

This is not the first time the company tapped into the music industry. The company released several hit anthems for the LoL Worlds Championship, working with pop artists. Recently, it collaborated with NewJeans, a K-pop girl group, releasing this year’s anthem “Gods.” The company also debuted a virtual girl group, K/DA, in 2019 and other LoL-themed virtual bands such as Pentakill and True Damage.

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]