Music

Trending on Billboard

For Riot Games’ goal to elevate women and marginalized genders in esports with its Game Changers initiative, few music-gaming collaborations would make a more natural fit than KATSEYE and Valorant.

The newly Grammy-nominated act’s song “M.I.A,” off their Billboard 200 top 10 EP Beautiful Chaos, is reimagined in a new “Valorant Game Changers Version,” out Tuesday (Nov. 11) ahead of the 2025 Valorant Game Changers Championship finals, taking place this month in Seoul. However, this collaboration carries extra resonance because one of KATSEYE’s six members is an avid gamer who appears to have manifested the team-up.

“I used to just say it on livestream before I even knew anything was gonna happen with KATSEYE and Valorant,” Megan shares, speaking to Billboard exclusively about the new partnership. “So when they presented this collaboration, I was literally so stoked. I’ve been playing this game since I was like 14 years old on my brother’s computer in COVID times; this is so nostalgic to me, honestly.”

Now 19, Megan’s enthusiasm — as well as KATSEYE’s larger message of inclusivity and empowerment — is threaded throughout the reworked anthem, with new lyrics drawing on themes of perseverance and community that stem from the connections in gaming when uplifting one another.

“We all stand behind that anyone can play any game and there shouldn’t be any weirdness,” the Honolulu native adds. “We really, really do think this aligns so much with KATSEYE and our brand. We’re so, so excited to do this collab.”

With several No. 1 Billboard chart hits to its name, Riot Games has leaned into music as a storytelling mechanism for gaming before. However, Valorant Game Changers shines the spotlight on new players in its first-person shooter game, with its global championship in Asia for the first time. The event will run Nov. 20-30 in Seoul, with finals scheduled from Nov. 28-30 at Riot’s LoL Park esports stadium in Seoul. Bringing in Korea-based HYBE and its global girl group KATSEYE positions the collaboration as a cultural handshake between two rapidly growing cultural communities.

“KATSEYE already had a ton of fans across Riot [Games] and in the Valorant community,” Jonny Altepeter, Riot Games’ senior manager of music supervision and A&R, tells Billboard. “When we found out Megan was a VAL player and they were excited to collab, it just made sense.”

For Altepeter, the appeal of reworking “M.I.A” resonated both musically and to the culture within the gaming community: “Sonically, it has that high-energy, bold confidence that works so well in our world. And thematically, it lined up perfectly with the moment we were trying to capture…our artist collaborations are everything. We’re always looking for voices that feel exactly right for a specific moment in our universe. We’re really intentional — and honestly, pretty precious — about VAL music, because we know how much it means to our community. Every artist we bring in is chosen for a reason. They bring something unique that helps elevate the story we’re telling, both in-game and beyond. That level of care and specificity is what sets us apart. We’re not just trying to find good songs… we’re building meaningful creative partnerships that help shape the emotional core of our world. And we’re so grateful to the artists who trust us and bring their full selves to that process.”

Anna Donlon, head of Valorant Studios and the architect behind Game Changers, frames the partnership as precisely the kind of crossover Riot Games built the program to foster.

“When we started Game Changers, the goal was always bigger than just competition,” Donlon shares. “It was about creating a space for players who hadn’t always seen themselves represented in esports. This year’s anthem and music video captures that same spirit, bringing people together, no matter where they come from. Across all our global events, music has been a powerful way to connect players, celebrate them and deepen their bond with Valorant. At the Game Changers Championship finals, you’ll see all of that come to life: the energy, the pride, the love for the game. And having South Korea’s own Ninetails, the first all-Korean team to qualify for the championship, take the stage on home turf? That’s going to make it even more special.”

Altepeter calls collaborations with actual players “hands down our favorite types of collaborations” because players-turned-artists speed up creative chemistry. “When someone already understands our world, everything just flows better…you can always feel that real connection in the final result.”

Check out the results for yourself with KATSEYE’s new video for “M.I.A. (Game Changers Version)” here and read on for more with Megan below.

KATSEYE X VALORANT Game Changers – “M.I.A. (Game Changers Version)”

Riot Games Music

How does it feel remixing “M.I.A” for the Valorant Game Changers initiative?

Megan: “M.I.A” is such a hard-hitting, strong, confident song. Especially with Valorant, since it’s such a cool, fun, very fierce game, I feel like going with “M.I.A” was just the perfect song. Especially [how] it tells a story with determination and perseverance, so I think going with this new reimagined version of “M.I.A” for Valorant was just like a no-brainer decision for all of us.

How did KATSEYE get involved in the program and what did it mean to you also to be here as a player?

Megan: Especially with me being a player myself, I used to just say on livestream before I even knew anything was gonna happen with KATSEYE and Valorant. I was like, “Oh yeah, I play Valorant.” It was just something that I said because it’s something I used to do in my free time. When they presented this collaboration, I was literally so stoked. I’ve been playing this game since I was, like, 14 years old on my brother’s computer in COVID times; this is so nostalgic to me, honestly. So, when we were presented this, I was literally jumping for joy. This is literally my game; I love this game. So it really does mean a lot to me and especially with the Game Changers, with what it represents — it’s just so cool. We’re just all so excited for this collaboration and we’re just so grateful that we’re able to do it.”

What’s your history with gaming and Valorant?

Megan: I grew up with a brother, so a lot of the games that I would play, my brother would introduce them to me. When I was little, I would always want to play dolls with him, but obviously he wasn’t going to play with dolls. So then he would introduce me to computer games like Valorant, Minecraft and those kind of games. And then he was really into Valorant and I was like, “OK, like let me get into this.” And I did. It was just so addictive. Especially during COVID and everything, like that was my sh–. That’s all, really, I could do because no one was going outside and it was a fun way to play with your friends. I feel like it was just a cool thing to do on my free time and it felt so much fun. There’s nothing really more to it than just saying that it was really, really fun and I really am such a competitive person that loves games like these — I thrive in it. [Laughs]

Do you have a go-to agent you play with in Valorant?

Megan: I usually play as Sage, the healer. There’s like this little term for Valorant players that you say they’re the “pocket Sage,” so I would usually be a pocket Sage when I would play with my friends. I would be their support to heal them when they’re dying.

Do you ever play Valorant with any of your KATSEYE members?

Megan: No, I actually haven’t got the chance to yet. I feel like right now we’re like so busy with our schedule, but I really specifically want to see how Yoonchae will play with me. [Laughs] I have to teach her how to be a pocket Sage — I feel like she’d be a really good pocket Sage. Yeah, we really do need one sit-down gaming session, all six of us, to play Valorant and see who’s naturally gifted. I think that Lara would be Jett. I feel like Sophia could maybe be Neon since Neon is Filipino…

This Game Changers program is meant to empower people from different backgrounds and marginalized genders. Have you ever experienced pushback as a girl gamer? Are things changing?

Megan: Honestly, I think it’s better now, but there were times in games where you would turn your microphone on and play with random people who were online, trying to find a group member. It was such a big thing for a second where if a girl turned their mic on, they would start bullying the girl — it happened to me a few times. It was pretty crazy, but then the funniest thing is when you’re really good, as a girl, and they get so mad. [Laughs] But I just don’t understand that, it was a big thing but I don’t think it’s as big of a thing now. It’s just them thinking that I was going to drag them behind and I ended up being the last one standing, pulling through and carrying the team. It’s the funniest thing ever, honestly, I just laugh.

Do you notice any direct link between music and gaming? Does music enhance the experience?

Megan: Music and games are such a big thing and I feel like people don’t really realize how much music is incorporated and how much it like really affects the gameplay. I mean, when you’re in combat mode, you want some good hype-up music and when you’re in more of a chill vibe, you would want like some [chill music], you know what I mean? It really does affect the whole overall vibe. I think Fortnite would play concerts in their games, which was so insane and so, so cool. I love how like they incorporated that in such a fun way. I would honestly love to do a virtual concert one day. I’d love to see how that works — it’s so intriguing.