K/DA launches FIRESTARTER EP ahead of Worlds 2026 show
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Riot Games released K/DA's four-track EP FIRESTARTER on all streaming platforms, with a DJ Sona collab and a live show set for the Worlds 2026 opener.
Riot Games this week released FIRESTARTER, a new four-track EP from K/DA, the virtual pop group built around League of Legends champions Ahri, Akali, Evelynn and Kai'Sa. The record is out now on all major streaming platforms and comes right before the group's live performance at the Worlds 2026 opening ceremony, scheduled for November 14 at Barclays Center in New York — what Riot itself calls the MOBA's biggest stage.
The FIRESTARTER EP: new tracks, new voices and DJ Sona's return
According to the release distributed by Riot Games in partnership with Virgin Music Group, the EP gathers the tracks FIRESTARTER, WATCH ME, NEVER GOING BACK and GIRLS. The title track arrived first, earlier this week, with a music video, and the rest of the repertoire followed with the full release. All four songs are already available on streaming.
On the vocal side, the new cycle keeps two of the voices most identified with the group: MIYEON and SOYEON of i-dle return as Ahri and Akali, while singer Sophie Powers performs as Evelynn and BRIT Award nominee Mimi Webb takes over Kai'Sa. The track GIRLS holds a comeback awaited by long-time fans: it is a collaboration with DJ Sona, one of League of Legends' earliest virtual artists, who reimagines the champion Sona as an EDM DJ and producer. According to Riot, it is the character's first recorded return since 2015.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | FIRESTARTER |
| Tracks | FIRESTARTER, WATCH ME, NEVER GOING BACK and GIRLS |
| Release | Week of October 19–21, 2026 |
| Distribution partner | Virgin Music Group |
| Vocals | MIYEON and SOYEON (i-dle), Sophie Powers and Mimi Webb |
| Collaboration | DJ Sona, on GIRLS, first appearance since 2015 |
| Stage | Worlds 2026 opening ceremony, Nov 14, Barclays Center |
A Fortiche-directed video reaches millions in 24 hours
The FIRESTARTER music video was created by Fortiche Production, the French studio behind the animation of Arcane, Riot's award-winning series. The company said the video drew 9.2 million views in its first 24 hours — a number that confirms the musical franchise's reach beyond the game and puts the premiere among the most impactful releases of the Riot Games Music catalog in recent years.
“Bringing them back was a joy for the whole artistic team. We wanted their return to feel more mature and fashion-forward.”
According to Ren, the studio's artists imagined the new K/DA “setting the runway on fire” for the group's new era — a nod to the more fashion-forward look and to a repertoire that blends pop, electronics and hip-hop. The full video can be watched on the official channel:
Six years after POP/STARS: where K/DA comes from
K/DA debuted in 2018 with POP/STARS, a song that earned RIAA platinum certification, and later released the ALL OUT EP. According to figures disclosed by Riot itself, the group has amassed more than 2.7 billion global streams and 1.8 billion video views, making the 2026 comeback the most ambitious chapter of the company's musical franchise to date. The group's name, by the way, comes from the in-game shorthand for kills, deaths and assists.
“With the FIRESTARTER EP, we wanted to respect what made people fall in love with K/DA, giving Ahri, Akali, Evelynn and Kai'Sa the space to evolve as artists after all this time.”
Egan added that the EP shows the group “stepping confidently into their next chapter”, with a new look and a purposefully diverse repertoire across the four tracks.
The Worlds 2026 stage and physical editions of the EP
On stage, K/DA will once again share the spotlight with True Damage at the Worlds 2026 opening ceremony, presented by Mastercard, on November 14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Our coverage has every detail of the show's confirmation, including times and the live broadcast on the tournament's official site. Riot has not yet revealed the setlist or special guests for the performance.
Beyond streaming, the EP will also have a physical life: pre-orders are open on the official Riot Games Music website, with several limited-edition CD variants and a vinyl edition. It is the group's first physical release since the ALL OUT cycle, in 2020.
Riot's music strategy for the Worlds cycle
FIRESTARTER is one piece of a bigger campaign for Worlds: the game's patch 26.22 already added the K/DA FIRESTARTER skins for Ahri, Evelynn and Kai'Sa, and Riot closed retail collaborations with Uniqlo, 7-Eleven, Olive Young and Lotte in Seoul — an action we covered earlier this week. On top of that, Riot Games Music's catalog counts over 1,500 songs, with more than 16 billion cumulative streams across platforms.
The design is clear: extend the tournament's musical identity from the stream to the physical stage, the game itself and retail, turning Worlds into an eclectic event of sports, virtual music and pop culture. More details of the show, such as guests and the setlist, should be announced in the coming days — stay tuned to the portal so you do not miss anything before the grand final.
