K/DA: Riot announces Worlds 2026 brand collabs
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Riot Games teams up with Uniqlo, 7-Eleven, Olive Young and Lotte to celebrate Worlds 2026 and the K/DA comeback, with pop-ups across Seoul, South Korea.
Riot Games announced on Thursday (22) a wave of brand collaborations to celebrate the 2026 League of Legends World Championship and the comeback of K/DA. The partnerships bring together Lotte Department Store, Uniqlo, 7-Eleven, Olive Young, IAB Studio and Photoism across food, fashion and lifestyle products, plus pop-ups in Seoul, South Korea. The first activation opens on October 23 at Lotte World Mall in Jamsil, and the schedule runs until November 8, as the South Korean capital settles into the final stretch of the tournament. The announcement was reported by specialist outlets, including Inven Global.
It is Riot's largest licensing operation around a World Championship since the virtual group first appeared in 2018. In practice, the company is moving the League of Legends universe into the daily routine of the South Korean audience: convenience-store sweets, customisable T-shirts, clothing capsules, themed photo booths and a temporary store that blends music and esports.
Six partners across three product fronts
The plan is split into three fronts. The first covers food and lifestyle, led by 7-Eleven, operated in South Korea by Korea Seven. The second is fashion, with Uniqlo and IAB Studio. The third gathers experiences and collectibles, with Photoism, Riot's own store and global partners Youtooz and tokidoki.
The collaborations were designed around two calendars at once. On one side, Worlds 2026, which began on October 16 and has its final scheduled for November 14 at Barclays Center in New York. On the other, the relaunch of K/DA, the virtual group formed by champions Ahri, Akali, Evelynn and Kai'Sa, back in action after roughly six years away.
7-Eleven: seven products for Pepero Day
The most popular partner on the list is 7-Eleven. The chain will stock seven collaboration products tied to Pepero Day, the Korean date on November 11 when convenience stores sell chocolate-covered biscuit sticks at Christmas-level volume. Two of them are Pepero sets with K/DA packaging; the other five are kits pairing the snack with a merchandise item.
The Pepero sets come in three-pack and five-pack versions. The larger box hides one random K/DA photocard, a detail likely to turn the purchase into a hunt for specific cards, a mechanic the Korean collectibles industry has mastered for years. The merchandise kits always include Pepero plus a gift. The rollout is staggered, with the first items reaching shelves in late October.
| Product | Format | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| K/DA Pepero — 3-pack | Snack set | Group-themed packaging |
| K/DA Pepero — 5-pack | Snack set | Random K/DA photocard |
| 3D acrylic keychain kit | Pepero + gift | Embossed collectible |
| Desk mat kit | Pepero + gift | Full-desk mousepad |
| Backrest cushion kit | Pepero + gift | Fits gaming chairs |
| Wrist rest kit | Pepero + gift | Keyboard ergonomics |
| Phone charging stand kit | Pepero + gift | Charging dock |
Uniqlo, IAB Studio and Photoism: fashion and photo booths
In fashion, Uniqlo launches its UTme! customisation service with K/DA stamps on October 23. At the Lotte World Mall and Myeongdong stores, customers use an iPad to pick and arrange the designs before printing them onto T-shirts, tote bags and other items. It is the second time the Japanese chain has worked with League of Legends; the first collaboration, in 2021, also featured the virtual group.
IAB Studio is betting on a capsule collection inspired by "FIRESTARTER", K/DA's new track, and by each member's personality. The pieces will be sold at the Trendpot by Olive Young N Seongsu pop-up and, online, through the Worksout platform. Photoism, a self-service photo booth chain hugely popular in South Korea, will launch special frames on November 1: four individual ones, one per member, and a full-group frame.
Beyond the partnerships, Riot is also expanding its own product line. The official store, both physical and online, receives new K/DA apparel and items developed with Youtooz, a collectible figure specialist, and tokidoki, known for its colourful urban characters.
'Music & Worlds 26' pop-up: where and when
The centrepiece is the temporary store "Riot Games Music & Worlds 26", mounted with Lotte Department Store and Olive Young. The space is themed around League of Legends' virtual artists and the 2026 World Championship, and runs at two addresses over two different windows.
| Location | Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lotte World Mall, Jamsil (1st floor, Atrium Square) | October 23 to November 1 | Open 10:30am to 10pm |
| Trendpot by Olive Young N Seongsu | October 29 to November 8 | Second pop-up stage |
| 7-Eleven (national chain) | From late October | Seven products, staggered release |
| Uniqlo Lotte World Mall and Myeongdong | From October 23 | UTme! customisation with K/DA stamps |
| Photoism | From November 1 | Individual and group frames |
K/DA's return after six years
The collaborations only make sense because K/DA is back. The group released the "FIRESTARTER" music video on October 19, its first new song since the 2020 EP "ALL OUT". The self-titled EP arrived on October 21 with four tracks: "FIRESTARTER", "WATCH ME", "NEVER GOING BACK" and "GIRLS", the latter with DJ Sona. On vocals, MIYEON and SOYEON of (G)I-DLE return as Ahri and Akali, while Canadian singer Sophie Powers and British singer Mimi Webb take on Evelynn and Kai'Sa.
The video was produced with French studio Fortiche, the team behind "Arcane" and the debut "POP/STARS" video, with choreography by Sean Bankhead, who has worked with Beyoncé and BLACKPINK. According to Riot, the group has amassed more than 2.7 billion streams and 1.8 billion video views, with RIAA platinum certification for the 2018 single.
"With the FIRESTARTER EP, we wanted to respect what made people fall in love with K/DA while giving Ahri, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai'Sa the space to evolve as artists after all this time. This is K/DA stepping confidently into their next chapter, with a new look, attitude and a diverse group of songs to showcase their individual journeys."
Worlds 2026 and what changes for fans outside Korea
In-game, the group's return also reaches matches. Patch 26.22, due on November 4, adds new K/DA skins: Ahri and Kai'Sa receive Epic skins, Evelynn gets a Legendary skin with a Mythic Variant, and Akali appears in a Mythic Variant. On stage, the four members perform at the Worlds final opening ceremony on November 14 at Barclays Center, alongside True Damage.
The reach of the collaborations, however, is essentially South Korean. Riot's announcement does not detail prices, per-store quantities or international distribution, and the company directs fans to its official channels for the specifics of each activation. For readers outside Korea, the most concrete expectations sit in digital content — the EP, the video and the skins — while snacks, T-shirts and photo frames remain limited to the Korean market.
The strategy still says a lot about how Riot intends to sustain K/DA as a pop music brand rather than a League of Legends easter egg. By tying the group's return to the biggest date on the esports calendar, the company turns Worlds into a commercial showcase that runs from the convenience-store shelf to the wardrobe. Whether the model will be replicated in other regions in coming seasons remains an open question.
For more League of Legends and World Championship coverage, check the games and gaming sections on O Santuário Geek. For official details on the collaborations, Riot points to its own channels, such as the company's music page and the official League of Legends site.
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