League of Legends introduces a unique twist to the concept of boy bands with their virtual group, Heartsteel. While traditional boy bands showcase all members singing and dancing on stage, Heartsteel takes a different approach. Comprised of six champions, only four take the spotlight while the remaining two play unconventional roles.
Stephanie Leung, Riot Games’ Product Lead for LoL Personalization, and Thomas Randby, Lead Concept Artist, shed light on why Yone and Aphelios have unconventional roles in Heartsteel. As an up-and-coming group, Heartsteel faces resource limitations compared to more established groups like K/DA. To address these constraints, Yone and Aphelios were introduced to fulfill important behind-the-scenes roles.
Aphelios, who is mute in the official lore, becomes Heartsteel’s instrumentalist and songwriter. Unable to sing, he showcases his creativity by skillfully using various musical instruments, reflecting his innovation with the Lunari weapons. Yone, known for his responsible nature, takes on the role of music producer. He ensures the smooth operation of the band, handling tasks such as shooting music videos and managing Discord meetings.
These role assignments align with the personalities and backgrounds of the champions in League of Legends. Riot Games believes that these roles make sense given the characters’ traits and their place within the music group.
Heartsteel features real-life artists from various genres, including American rapper Cal Scruby as Kayn, Korean singer Baekhyun from EXO and SuperM as Ezreal, Nigerian-American hip-hop artiste Tobi Lou as K’Sante, and Taiwanese Mandopop artiste Ozi as Sett. These artists made their debut with the song “Paranoia” during the League of Legends World Championship (Worlds 2023) finals.
Heartsteel marks Riot Games’ first all-boy virtual group, preceding other virtual acts like K/DA, True Damage, and Pentakill. The group’s debut performance took place at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea.
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Source: ONEESPORTS
