Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual
The Virtual is Blackpink’s most recent music-related collaboration with PUBG Mobile that was announced on July 12, 2022. One of the main selling point of The Virtual is that they’re going to unveiled Blackpink’s unreleased track ‘Ready To Love’ during PUBG Mobile’s first in-game virtual concert. The Blackpink avatars will perform the track that has been featured on Blackpink’s Netflix documentary ‘Light Up The Sky’ that was released in October 2020. That fact alone was able to attract lots of Blinks’ attention, including non-gamers like I am, to tune in to see what The Virtual is all about (because honestly, I thought it was going to be like The Show or The Movie which essentially just recycled clips from The Show).
The marketing for The Virtual seemed to be coming heavily from PUBG’s side. I don’t remember YG or the members promoting the event heavily prior to the virtual concert (or maybe I might’ve missed it). Blinks helped with the hype online though because I became more aware of the event through the noise that’s happening on my timeline since the first teaser poster dropped which then built up to the day of the concert.
When I saw the concert, my first thought was that the avatars on The Virtual look so much different than the ones they used on the promotional posters. And not necessarily in a good way. It feels like a draft version of the members almost? I don’t know much about animation and computer graphics, but I do know making these avatars is not an easy task. But still, the disappointment was there especially after seeing the teaser poster version.
Anyways, the virtual concert lasted about 8 minutes or so. And I got to be honest, I didn’t even watched it on the app that I’ve downloaded for the sake of this virtual concert because I was so confused where I should access it from (it might also has to do with the time zone and how the clips of The Virtual already circulating on Twitter from Blinks who can access the concert sooner. So it’s just easier to watch the clips online). Plus, even if I figure that part out, I have a feeling I might be struggling with moving my avatar to the place where I can watch the concert properly because from the clip that I watched, it seems like you can move and fly your avatar around the concert area to get different angles of the stage. And I think when you move, the volume of the songs changes too according to where you at relative the stage. I mean it’s pretty cool and interactive. After the intro, Blackpink avatars performed 4 songs, ‘Ddu-Du Ddu-Du’, ‘Kill This Love’, ‘How You Like That’ (in which you can play some sort of interactive tap tap game during the performance) and the last one being the highly anticipated ‘Ready To Love’, the short version that is because the song only lasted for about one and a half minute. And that’s it.
How was The Virtual overall? I think like most Blinks out there, listening to ‘Ready To Love’ is probably the number one reason why I tuned in to watch the virtual concert. Having said that, it is a little disappointing that the part that they performed on The Virtual is essentially the part of the song that’s already leaked online in the past. So it felt like there’s nothing really new there except maybe for the avatars. Even the avatars could do a little more work Imho. But overall, since I didn’t really put to much expectation on this event, it was alright I guess. It was cool to see PUBG made a virtual in-game concert with Blackpink and it’s certainly a new kind of concert experience.
Here’s a timeline on how Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual unfolded:
12 Jul ‘22 — PUBG Mobile announced their latest collaboration with Blackpink, THE VIRTUAL, PUBG Mobile’s first ever in-game concert.
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual Announcement | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
15 Jul ‘22 — PUBG Mobile announced that free virtual concert tickets are available to claim online through July 24th.
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual Free Online Tickets | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
16 Jul ‘22 — The Virtual pre-load event is announced.
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual Pre-Load Event | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
19 Jul ‘22 - The Virtual concert support event is announced. PUBG Mobile also dropped the D-3 poster.
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual Concert Support Event | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual D-3 Poster | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
20 Jul ‘22 - PUBG Mobile dropped The Virtual D-2 poster and the global concert schedule.
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual D-2 Poster | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual Global Concert Schedule | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
21 Jul ‘22 - PUBG Mobile dropped The Virtual D-1 poster and individual poster for each members.
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual D-1 Poster | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual - Rosé | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual - Jisoo | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual - Lisa | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual - Jennie | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
22 Jul ‘22 - PUBG Mobile dropped The Virtual D-day poster as well as a special video message from Blackpink members.
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual D-Day Poster | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
24 Jul ‘22 - PUBG Mobile published the opening teaser of The Virtual on their YouTube channel.
31 Jul ‘22 — PUBG Mobile published new posters and short clips from ‘The Virtual’.
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual Poster | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual Poster Ready For Love | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual Poster How You Like That | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual Poster Kill This Love | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
Blackpink x PUBG Mobile: The Virtual Poster Ddu-du Ddu-du | Photo Courtesy: PUBG Mobile
3 Aug ‘22 - PUBG Mobile published The Virtual full concert on their YouTube channel.
