K-Pop is taking over the gaming world
K-Pop is everywhere: on the radio, in the fashion industry, and in the gaming sector. The South Korean export hit can now be found in countless games. The latest example is 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4', which is riding the wave of success and moving the action to South Korea.
Colorful K-pop and the seriousness of war in "Call of Duty": At first glance, they don't seem to go together. But the idea isn't that far-fetched, because K-pop is more than just funny hairstyles and cuddly mascots.
"We are in the third 'Hallyu' wave. K-pop is bigger than ever. Korean films like 'KPop Demon Hunters' and 'Parasite' are winning Oscars. And we ourselves have become big fans of Korean rap. We are fans of Korean pop culture and find it exciting to incorporate these impressions into a 'Call of Duty' game."
This quote comes from Game Director O’Hara, who reveals a lot about the campaign in "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4" and its creation in [my colleague Domagoj's preview]. In it, fans step into the role of a South Korean soldier who must prove himself during a North Korean invasion of the southern part of the peninsula.
In the conception and development of "Modern Warfare 4," personal interest merges with knowledge of what is currently working excellently in marketing. The result is a "Call of Duty" that draws its fans into an immersive story about a war on the Korean peninsula. Far away from glittering K-pop stars and rehearsed dances that are currently sweeping across the globe.
K-pop has the best prerequisites to break boundaries
"A lot of people not only know K-pop, but also know what Korea looks like from series and films. I can imagine that gamers in particular will be drawn into this world and notice these connection points," explains freelance editor Daniel Koch, an expert in the field of K-pop.
He writes for Diffus, Musikexpress, Rolling Stone, and Tagesspiegel, among others, and has been reporting on K-pop for five years. Korea is very proud of its cultural exports and sets as few boundaries as possible to conquer the world. When asked how K-pop has developed in the Western world, he explains:
"Korea and the K-pop industry wanted to crack the US early on, and that's why they built bridges to Western pop culture many years ago. In South Korea, there have been artists for quite some time who have musically dared to make the big leap into the Western world. (...) K-pop is an economic power, and the entire K-pop scene is seen as a service, which helps to market the whole thing worldwide in various areas.
If you look at what has shaped K-pop, it's a lot of Scandinavian pop. The Western sound also flows into the structure of the songs, which makes them more accessible. Bands like 'Big Bang' and 'Girls' Generation' were the first K-pop stars 20 years ago. (...) 'BTS' were the first to achieve worldwide fame. Then bands like 'Blackpink' and 'Stray Kids' were added. The great success seems to come from the fact that the entire (K-pop) culture is handled much more openly and commercially."
In his estimation, openness in terms of musical style and marketing of K-pop stars is a good strategy to also dive into other areas. We see that this works in the gaming industry. Hardware, in-game collaborations, and thematically appropriate games like the "KPop Demon Hunters" "Roblox" mini-game and the "K-Pop Idol Simulator": K-pop has long since arrived in the gaming scene.
When K-pop stars make the gaming industry dance
The "Dualsense Wireless Controller – Lisa Limited Edition" was created in collaboration with K-pop artist Lisa. It is designed with her signature bangs and her eyes as a drawing on the touchpad. In an interview on the Playstation blog, "Lisa" describes her collaboration with Playstation and her connection to gaming as follows:
"Gaming is something I do whenever I find time to relax. That's why it was very exciting to create this collection with Playstation. I had a lot of fun incorporating little details that I knew my fans would notice, and I wanted the fans to have something they could feel connected to. I've always loved expressing myself through music and fashion, so this collaboration offered me a new way to be creative and show a different side of myself. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do."
"Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds" ("PUBG" for short) always comes up with something new when it comes to (musical) collaborations. "Blackpink" was the first band to give a virtual concert in "PUBG Mobile." The concert event, spread over two weekends, attracted a total of 15.7 million players.
Many bands have jumped on this gaming bandwagon and are developing various events for the game together with Krafton – the studio behind "PUBG." "PUBG x Aespa," for example, offers fans fancy outfits inspired by the girl group, their own stages, and areas on the most popular maps in the game.
The K-pop hype in "PUBG" shows no signs of stopping. The next collaboration is coming soon: "PUBG x Ive." What exactly will happen from November 4th on PC and from November 15th, 2026, on consoles is currently under wraps.
K-pop bands storm music and rhythm games
One might think that K-pop only spilled into the gaming world with the global success story of "BTS." Yet there are much earlier examples. Seven years ago, you could already mimic dance moves to the song "Bang Bang Bang" by the K-pop band "Big Bang" in "Just Dance 2019."
I was there myself when 60,000 people danced to this song by "Big Bang" at the Stade de France in Paris a few weeks ago. And I'm certainly not the only one who remembers the choreography from "Just Dance."
The rhythm game "Beat Saber" offers the opportunity to buy more music tracks from artists from all over the world with numerous add-ons. In addition to bands like "Linkin Park" and "Fall Out Boy," songs by the successful K-pop band "BTS" are also available.
"KPop Demon Hunters" on Netflix and "Roblox"
Hardly anyone could avoid the Netflix original "KPop Demon Hunters" in 2025. The iconic song "Golden" plays on the radio, is covered countless times, and becomes a favorite of many subscribers to the streaming service. This success is also spilling over into the gaming world: Netflix has released its own mini-game for the film, in which you have to solve rhythm tasks. In "Roblox," there is an official "KPop Demon Hunters" game provided by Netflix and Twin Atlas.
The future of K-pop in video games
The influence of K-pop on the video game world is still in its infancy. With the increasing popularity of the music, music and rhythm games will continue to (increasingly) rely on K-pop in the future. The bright, colorful visuals and the fashionable outfits of the stars can be integrated into many game concepts, so I expect further collaborations in games like "Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds."
It is nice to see that the popularity of a music genre that is expanding into so many industries is creating interest in the country and its culture. Games like "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4" are inspired by historical events, and films like "K-Pop Demon Hunters" bring game adaptations to large platforms like "Roblox." If the hype around K-pop and other Korean exports continues, I expect many more bridges to the gaming world.
I didn’t have a Game Boy or a Super Nintendo as a child, and only joined the world of gaming at 15. I’ve been trying to make up for lost time ever since. But looking at the ever-growing number of game releases each year, it seems the entire industry is conspiring against me.
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