K-pop powerhouse, Blackpink, and the popular battle royale shooter, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, may seem like strange bedfellows, but the two have teamed up for a unique crossover. Fans of the Korean idol band will want to check out the mobile version of PUBG for a special sneak peek of new music.
While its popularity was quickly eclipsed by the explosive phenomenon that is Fortnite, PUBG nails the ingredients that make for a stellar battle royale shooter, pitting hordes of players against each other in massive, last-man standing deathmatches. At the seemingly opposite end of the entertainment spectrum, YG Entertainment’s girl group, Blackpink, is the highest charting female K-pop group on Billboard’s Hot 100, reaching new heights with their 2020 single “Ice Cream.”
This unlikely duo has paired to use PUBG Mobile as a platform to preview tracks from Blackpink’s forthcoming album, In Your Area. Players are now able to sample songs from the album in PUBG Mobile‘s lobbies which boast a special, Blackpink visual theme. Starting in early October, there will also be specially themed items and prizes up for grabs. The promotion is slated to last until early November, and comes hot on the heels of the release of PUBG’s new Arena Mode, emphasizing squad-based combat.
PUBG‘s predominantly male core demographic does not seem like it would share an extensive overlap with Korea’s premiere, K-pop girl group, and reactions from fans of both groups have largely ranged from confused to amused on Twitter. The unique cross-promotional move seems to be following a page from Fortnite‘s playbook, as the rival battle royale title has hosted several in-game musical performances, including a video from K-pop supergroup, BTS.
In many respects, the collaboration’s potential gains outweigh its risks. The internet adores disparate mash-ups of cute and brutal, as demonstrated by the excess of Animal Crossing and DOOM crossover memes that went viral this summer. It is also a promotion that stands to maximize Blackpink’s exposure to a group that may be unfamiliar with their music, just ahead of their album launch and upcoming Netflix documentary.
For PUBG‘s part, the promotion may funnel eager K-pop fans to check out a game they would normally overlook, and helps promote the newly released arena mode. It may also help the game garner some positive international press after the Indian government banned PUBG Mobile from devices in that country, leading PUBG Corporation to pull out of its partnership with the Chinese tech conglomerate, Tencent.
Even if the promotion flops, the downsides are relatively minor for both the band and the game. Despite that pragmatism, one cannot help but wonder if both parties could have found more dance partners with more obvious mutual appeal.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, Xbox One, and mobile devices. The Blackpink crossover is currently running, and concludes on November 2nd.
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