2018 World Championship
Augmented Reality Concert
Creative Direction
Creative Producer
Innovation
Strategy
Debuting a virtual band live on stage
2018 World Championship
I led the creative direction and technical execution for the debut of Riot Games’ virtual pop group, K/DA, at the 2018 League of Legends World Championship Opening Ceremony.
Client
Riot Games
Released
Project Type
Augmented Reality Concert
Timeframe
12 months
2018 World Championship
Overview
Riot Games was launching their newest IP, K/DA — a virtual pop group composed of characters from League of Legends. To introduce them to the world, I pitched the idea of having a live performance where the virtual idols would share the stage with their real-world counterparts. I oversaw all aspects of creative integration, blending live performance with real-time AR to deliver a globally acclaimed moment that set a new benchmark for immersive entertainment.
To bring this to life, I was brought in to collaborate closely with Riot Games’ game development, marketing, music, and esports teams to define and execute the creative vision. Leading a team of internal and external artists, designers, and engineers, I helped deliver the first-ever live performance featuring virtual artists on a real-world stage.
2018 World Championship
The Challenge
A live performance featuring multiple AR characters interacting in real time with real-life performers had never been done before. We had to build everything from the ground up — custom technology, original character assets, and animation that synced perfectly with the choreography happening live on stage.
Launching K/DA was Riot’s most ambitious IP rollout in over a decade, and the stakes were high and the success of this virtual group was critical to the company’s long-term strategy. The challenge was bringing together teams across game development, marketing, music, and esports to pull off a cohesive, global launch.
2018 World Championship
The Solution
As the creative lead for the K/DA performance, I sourced and managed the external partners responsible for bringing the virtual band to life. Over seven months, we modeled the characters from scratch, collaborated with a motion capture studio to record the choreography, refined the animation, and applied it to the digital performers — all while working closely with creative teams across Riot to ensure the final product met the highest standards.
2018 World Championship
The Results
The result was a massively successful launch for the K/DA IP. The characters became the highest-grossing skin line in Riot Games’ history, and the live performance drew over 100 million viewers worldwide — cementing the moment as a cultural milestone for both gaming and entertainment.
