Riot Games registers new K/DA song "Watch Me," teasing possible LoL 2026 Season 3 comeback

After nearly six years of absence, the iconic League of Legends virtual K-pop girl group could be making a comeback at the end of 2026. With Worlds 2026 set to begin on October 15 and LoL Season 3 Act 1 ending on October 7, the timing has sparked speculation that K/DA could return in a new form. The group’s comeback could perhaps even be linked to Teamfight Tactics’ Set 19, which was teased last December as featuring the game’s “biggest musical event yet.”

Since K/DA’s last release, Riot Games has also experimented with other virtual music groups. Pentakill returned with its third album in 2021, while HEARTSTEEL debuted as a virtual boy band with a single in 2023, offering a different take on Riot’s established formula.

What had thus far remained rumors and leaks now appears to be taking a much more concrete shape. Riot Games recently registered a new song, “Watch Me,” on ASCAP—a non-profit organization protecting the financial rights of music—with the track directly linked to K/DA’s discography. There is currently no confirmation as to which members will return for the song, although fan leaks have indicated that Seraphine is not expected to return to the group, as she was only a featured artist on K/DA’s ALL OUT album in 2020.

After nearly three years without a new release, Riot Games could be getting ready to jump back into the K-pop world ahead of Season 3 Act 2. K/DA’s potential comeback has already got fans excited, but with TFT’s upcoming Set 19 and the latest leaks, it looks like Riot could have something even bigger planned.

The latest rumor stems from Chinese social media influencer PeterCN, who reportedly discovered upcoming merchandise for “K/DA FIRESTARTER” alongside “2026 HEARTSTEEL” items. While this is still far from an official confirmation, the merchandise lines up with Riot’s recent “Watch Me” registration and could even hint at a collaboration between the two groups.

The timing also makes the Set 19 teaser particularly interesting. Revealed last December, Riot described the set as featuring TFT’s “biggest musical event yet.” With K/DA now potentially returning and HEARTSTEEL appearing in merchandise leaks, the teaser could be hinting at a much larger crossover than initially expected.

K/DA is Riot Games’ virtual K-pop girl group, bringing League of Legends champions Ahri, Akali, Evelynn and Kai’Sa to life as pop stars. The group made its debut at 2018 Worlds with “POP/STARS,” performed by (G)I-DLE’s Miyeon as Ahri, Soyeon as Akali, Madison Beer as Evelynn and Jaira Burns as Kai’Sa.

After becoming a viral hit, K/DA returned in 2020 with the ALL OUT EP, adding Seraphine as a featured character. The group has remained largely quiet since then, making a potential 2026 comeback its first major return in nearly six years. For now, the original four members remain at the heart of K/DA, with Seraphine having only appeared as a featured addition during the ALL OUT era.

The potential return of K/DA and HEARTSTEEL does, however, leave True Damage and Pentakill out of the picture once again. True Damage has not received a new release since 2019, while Pentakill’s last album, Lost Chapter, came out in 2021. For now, Riot appears to be putting its focus back on its pop-focused virtual groups, with K/DA potentially returning alongside HEARTSTEEL for what could become one of the company’s biggest music events in years.