League of Legends has a boy band now, 'a group of dynamic daredevils dedicated to unapologetic individuality and creative expression'

pcgamer.com:

Five years after turning four of its characters into a pretend K-Pop group, League of Legends has a boy band now. The six-man group is called Heartsteel, and it features «re-imagined» versions of the LoL characters Ezreal, Kayn, Aphelios, Yone, K'Sante, and Sett.

«Heartsteel is a group of dynamic daredevils dedicated to unapologetic individuality and creative expression,» Riot said in a press release so over-the-top I can't help but quote it directly. «Their mission is to blaze a path to success on their own terms. The group's personality and sound draws inspiration from modern music collectives, and a range of influences from across genres and eras, culminating in a bold, one-of-a-kind identity.»

I respect the commitment to the bit, which is strong enough that each member—none of whom actually exist, remember, this is basically Jem and the Holograms for the new millennium—has a specific role within the band. I suppose that's not terribly uncommon for this sort of thing: Most cartoons have some sort of «leader/sexpot/brain/substance abuse guy/talking dog» hierarchy going on. Even so, it lands a little weird seeing it all laid out in such black-and-white terms.

Here's the roster, along with the real-life performers who will give them voice:

And a couple who I guess are more the strong, silent types:

Heartsteel will drop its debut single Paranoia on October 23, and I have to admit that I'm eager to see what comes of it. I was very skeptical about K/DA, the pretend K-Pop group that Riot rolled out back in 2018, but its first single, backed by a stylish animated video, was a legit banger. Will Heartsteel duplicate that success? If I had to put money on it right now I'd definitely go with «probably not,» but based on the