Korean pop fans can share their love for supergroup Blackpink inside the act's newest fan hub, based on gaming platform Roblox.
The activation, “Blackpink the palace”, was launched by South Korean entertainment agency YG Entertainment (also the group’s record label) and built by London metaverse studio Karta. It is available to play from today (25 August).
Various in-game experiences are available for fans (referred to as “Blinks” by devotees of the group), including opportunities to “take pictures” with avatars of the band members inside a massive “palace”, explore its “majestic” throne room and earn in-experience currency to deck out and host Blackpink-themed parties on the platform.
Players can also decorate their Roblox avatars with Blackpink-themed outfits, as well as engage with themed games, such as one where they can pick up a hammer shaped like a Blackpink lightstick to “smash crystals” and earn in-game rewards.
Roblox users who access the experience within the first 24 hours of its opening will also receive a special badge to display on their profiles.
Hyojung Lee, head of IPX division at YG Plus, said: “We look forward to welcoming fans from all over the world to a beautiful virtual palace where they can party, connect and experience everything Blackpink beyond the constraints of time and space. Fans will be surprised to see and have an opportunity to take selfies with avatars of all four members.”
Blackpink formed in South Korea in 2016 and consists of members Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé (pictured below, from left to right).
Seven years later, the group has achieved global superstardom, having garnered more than 90 million YouTube subscriber and more that 32 billion video views, and this year became the first Asian artists to headline Coachella Festival.
Karta, who has built metaverse activations for Ronald McDonald House, Unilever and Amazon (the last of which won the media and entertainment category at the 2023 Campaign Media Awards) announced last month that it had raised a funding round of $1.1m. The agency also announced this month that it would be expanding to include a studio based exclusively on creating Fortnite activations.