K/DA

2018viral videoclassic

Published September 3, 2026

K/DA is a virtual K-pop group created by Riot Games featuring League of Legends champions Ahri, Kai'Sa, Evelynn, and Akali. Unveiled in November 2018 during the League of Legends World Championship, the debut single Pop/Stars pulled millions of YouTube views in its first days and launched one of gaming's biggest crossover music acts.

kpop memesgamingesports memesmusic video memesglobal crossover memes

Overview

K/DA pairs four animated League of Legends champions with real vocalists to perform as a fictional K-pop act. Ahri and Akali are sung by (G)I-dle members Miyeon and Soyeon, while Evelynn and Kai'Sa get their voices from American pop singers Madison Beer and Jaira Burns1. Riot Games commits fully to the bit, with glossy choreography, character-specific stage outfits, and an in-universe group lore document released alongside the debut single3.

The gag that made K/DA stick was the collision of two fandoms most people did not expect to overlap: League esports and K-pop. Players who tuned in for the World Championship opener got a full pop production, and K-pop fans got a slick single that charted on real music services. The group's four in-game skins launched at the same time, tying the music release to a Summoner's Rift merchandising push3.

Origin & Background

Platform
YouTube (Riot Games) / League of Legends World Championship
Creator
Riot Games
Date
2018

On November 3, 2018, the official League of Legends YouTube channel uploaded the music video for Pop/Stars, K/DA's debut single1. The same night, augmented reality versions of Ahri, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa performed the song on stage at the opening ceremony of the 2018 League of Legends World Championship in Incheon, South Korea, sharing the stage with the real singers who voiced them3.

The song was written to promote a new set of in-game K/DA skins for the four champions, and Riot published a companion short story explaining the group's fictional backstory the same day2.

How It Spread

Pop/Stars pulled roughly 17.3 million YouTube views and about 59,000 comments in its first 72 hours3. On November 4, 2018, Riot posted a promotional trailer for the in-game K/DA skins, which cleared 1.1 million views over the following two days4.

That same day, the music video hit /r/videos, where it climbed past 31,900 points at a 72% upvote rate with roughly 2,400 comments in 48 hours5. Reaction content followed almost immediately: YouTuber Davcev uploaded footage of Twitch streamer Pokimane watching Pop/Stars for the first time, and Fun of Legends posted a reaction video of pro player Faker seeing it a day later3.

K/DA kept going after the initial burst. Riot released the follow-up single The Baddest in 2020 and the EP All Out later that year, cementing the act as a recurring release rather than a one-off World Championship stunt.

How to Use This Meme

K/DA works less as a reusable image template and more as a fandom identity. Fans typically make K/DA content through cosplay of the four champions' pop-star outfits, dance covers of Pop/Stars choreography, and fan art that treats the four as an actual idol group. In-game, players often pick the K/DA skins as a matched four-stack when queuing with friends.

Frequently Asked Questions

K/DA

2018viral videoclassic

Published September 3, 2026

K/DA is a virtual K-pop group created by Riot Games featuring League of Legends champions Ahri, Kai'Sa, Evelynn, and Akali. Unveiled in November 2018 during the League of Legends World Championship, the debut single Pop/Stars pulled millions of YouTube views in its first days and launched one of gaming's biggest crossover music acts.

kpop memes gaming esports memes music video memes global crossover memes

Overview

K/DA pairs four animated League of Legends champions with real vocalists to perform as a fictional K-pop act. Ahri and Akali are sung by (G)I-dle members Miyeon and Soyeon, while Evelynn and Kai'Sa get their voices from American pop singers Madison Beer and Jaira Burns1. Riot Games commits fully to the bit, with glossy choreography, character-specific stage outfits, and an in-universe group lore document released alongside the debut single3.

The gag that made K/DA stick was the collision of two fandoms most people did not expect to overlap: League esports and K-pop. Players who tuned in for the World Championship opener got a full pop production, and K-pop fans got a slick single that charted on real music services. The group's four in-game skins launched at the same time, tying the music release to a Summoner's Rift merchandising push3.

Origin & Background

Platform
YouTube (Riot Games) / League of Legends World Championship
Creator
Riot Games
Date
2018

On November 3, 2018, the official League of Legends YouTube channel uploaded the music video for Pop/Stars, K/DA's debut single1. The same night, augmented reality versions of Ahri, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa performed the song on stage at the opening ceremony of the 2018 League of Legends World Championship in Incheon, South Korea, sharing the stage with the real singers who voiced them3.

The song was written to promote a new set of in-game K/DA skins for the four champions, and Riot published a companion short story explaining the group's fictional backstory the same day2.

How It Spread

Pop/Stars pulled roughly 17.3 million YouTube views and about 59,000 comments in its first 72 hours3. On November 4, 2018, Riot posted a promotional trailer for the in-game K/DA skins, which cleared 1.1 million views over the following two days4.

That same day, the music video hit /r/videos, where it climbed past 31,900 points at a 72% upvote rate with roughly 2,400 comments in 48 hours5. Reaction content followed almost immediately: YouTuber Davcev uploaded footage of Twitch streamer Pokimane watching Pop/Stars for the first time, and Fun of Legends posted a reaction video of pro player Faker seeing it a day later3.

K/DA kept going after the initial burst. Riot released the follow-up single The Baddest in 2020 and the EP All Out later that year, cementing the act as a recurring release rather than a one-off World Championship stunt.

How to Use This Meme

K/DA works less as a reusable image template and more as a fandom identity. Fans typically make K/DA content through cosplay of the four champions' pop-star outfits, dance covers of Pop/Stars choreography, and fan art that treats the four as an actual idol group. In-game, players often pick the K/DA skins as a matched four-stack when queuing with friends.

Frequently Asked Questions