K/DA are back after six years with "FIRESTARTER", and two of the four voices are new

K/DA, the virtual K-pop group built by Riot Games for League of Legends, have returned with new music for the first time in about six years. The single and animated video for "FIRESTARTER" came out on 19 October 2026, and an EP of the same name follows on 21 October.

Who K/DA are, and why this matters

For readers meeting the group for the first time: K/DA started in 2018 as a fictional idol group made from four popular champions in the game: Ahri, Akali, Evelynn and Kai'Sa. Their debut single "POP/STARS" gave the characters real singing voices, and the animated video made the group a rare case of a game tie-in that ended up on pop playlists. Their last original release was the 2020 EP All Out.

K/DA have always sat at an odd crossing: the sound is K-pop, the voices come from several countries, and the "members" are animation. A comeback after six years is a test of whether that idea still travels.

The line-up

Two voices return. Miyeon and Soyeon of (G)I-DLE, the Korean group, again sing Ahri and Akali. The change is on the other two characters. Canadian singer Sophie Powers now voices Evelynn, and British singer Mimi Webb voices Kai'Sa.

That means the original voices of those two characters, Madison Beer and Jaira Burns, do not appear on the new single. We have not seen an official explanation for the change, so we are not offering one.

The release

"FIRESTARTER" and its video arrived on 19 October, ahead of the EP on 21 October. The video is animated, continuing the look the group built in 2018. The EP carries the title track and is released under Riot Games' music label.

We will update this story if the EP's full tracklist or any live plans are confirmed.

What to watch

This is a franchise comeback more than a group reunion, so the useful question is how the EP sounds beside current K-pop, where the October calendar is crowded: IVE, ILLIT and RIIZE all return on 26 October. K/DA's advantage is that their audience arrives through a game with a global player base, not through a fan-cafe or a weekly music show.

Listen on the group's official channels and streaming pages from 21 October for the full EP.