The one and only French animation studio Fortiche, best known for its work on Arcane, also created K/DA's breakout debut music video and has now teamed up with Riot Games again to bring the virtual K-pop group back with FIRESTARTER.

This is K/DA's first major release in six years. FIRESTARTER serves as the lead single for a four-track EP of the same name, featuring a mix of returning and new vocal talent, and Riot Games is also taking the comeback into its games with a matching collection of skins for League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and Wild Rift.

We love animation references at 80 Level: you can never really escape them, even as a pro, and they often turn out to be incredibly funny and unusual compared to the polished sequences that eventually make it to the screen. Fortiche treated us to some delightful behind-the-scenes footage that, alongside the spectacular dance moves, features some fun hats, unexpected props, and even treadmills. And there's more: the studio has shared exclusive behind-the-scenes material featuring team members discussing storyboards, how Fortiche brought out each member's unique identity, and the choreography behind FIRESTARTER:

Watch the full FIRESTARTER music video below:

K/DA arguably helped pioneer a whole new era of virtual K-pop, showing that virtual characters could make a real impact on the global music scene. If you're curious about this phenomenon, check out our interview with the animators behind Pick Your Poison, Dungeon Fighter Online's ambitious music video for the virtual group I-D:

And if you're here for more animation references, check out some great ones from Daniel Ceballos and Eric Stinnissen, featuring work from KPop Demon Hunters, as well as an entire series David Badgerow created for Zootopia 2:

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