Korean pop group BLACKPINK performed a concert last week. It wasn't in an amphitheater or arena though, it was in a video game played on a mobile phone. Titled "The Virtual," the concert was only accessible by downloading and playing a game called PUBG Mobile. PUBG, or PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds as it is also referred to, is a mobile battle royale where players compete against one another in "last man standing" type gameplay. Once the game begins, players scavenge for weapons and materials that will help them survive against conflicts with other players until only one player is left standing. It's nearly identical to the objective of the game Fortnite.
Last Friday's gameplay felt a little different though. During the virtual concert, players were not able to attack each other, and instead were only able to enjoy the musical performance of BLACKPINK together in a unique "world" created specially for the event. This was PUBG's first dive into virtual concerts, but its competitor Fortnite is no stranger to them. Fortnite has featured Travis Scott and Ariana Grande in individual in-game concerts in the past, the first of their kind. With the rise in popularity and accessibility of mobile games, it will be interesting to see what kind of "virtually-exclusive" live events may await us in the future.