Sensational K-pop girl group Blackpink is taking over Roblox with an immersive metaverse experience for its fan base. Dubbed ‘BLACKPINK THE PALACE,’ it aims to give fans, aka Blinks, an interactive hub to engage, celebrate Blackpink's music, and unite to recreate the group's famed choreography.
Inside the palace on Roblox, fans will be able to explore a virtual space inspired by the group's music videos and albums, take photographs with the avatars representing the group members: Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo, and Rosé, purchase a series of custom outfits and emotes for their avatars. Moreover, Blinks can use a Blackpink lightstick-shaped hammer to smash crystals and upgrade in-experience items. In addition, they can also participate in challenges and earn rewards as part of this experience.
Developed in collaboration with metaverse studio Karta, the experience will launch on August 25th. It’s worth mentioning that fans who join within the first 24 hours will receive a special badge for their Roblox profile. YG PLUS, a subsidiary of YG Entertainment, stated that the experience will be updated throughout next year with new content, such as challenges that will reward players with Robux, Roblox's in-game currency.
Hyojung Lee, Head of IPX Division at YG Plus, expressed excitement towards the upcoming launch of the virtual experience.
"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," he said.
Although this initiative marks Blackpink's first foray into Roblox, the group is not a newcomer in the metaverse. The girl’s band has once partnered with South Korean metaverse platform Zepet and with battle royale shooter PUBG Mobile. Collaboration with the latter earned it the ´Best Metaverse Performance’ award at the 2022 MTV VMAs.
Meanwhile, the launch of Blackpink The Palace on Roblox is another example of how K-pop brands leverage the metaverse to better connect with fans and reach a new audience. As the metaverse continues to evolve, the space will likely see more prominent brands create interactive experiences to connect with their fans deeply.
