BTS World
Mobile game featuring BTS as playable characters.
Big Hit Entertainment · via Wikipedia: BTS World · Fair use
BTS World (stylized in all caps) is a mobile game from South Korean developer Takeone Company Corp and publisher Netmarble. Players act as the band's manager, guiding each of the seven members through storylines that span from 2012, before their debut, up to 2019. It launched on iOS and Android in over 175 countries on June 26, 2019.
The game is a visual novel where the story advances by clicking through interactions between the player and characters. Conversations and player choices affect later chapters. Players can also style the characters and play a card game to reach target scores. Real photos and voice recordings of BTS members are used, and the official website hosts galleries of photos and videos of the members as game characters. A mode called Another Story offers similar gameplay but separate narratives, each focusing on the player and a single BTS member as if the group never formed.
Seven characters appear in Another Story, based on the game's official site. Development took two years, with Netmarble stating the group's strong fanbase created a good market for a new game. The members' true personalities informed the game's design.
The game includes original music by BTS. A soundtrack album, *BTS World: Original Soundtrack*, was released worldwide on June 28, 2019. It was supported by three collaboration singles: "Dream Glow" (Jin, Jimin, Jungkook with Charli XCX) on June 7, "A Brand New Day" (J-Hope, V with Zara Larsson) on June 14, and "All Night" (RM, Suga with Juice Wrld) on June 21. The game's official theme song, "Heartbeat," debuted in-game on June 26.
Before release, the game received extensive media coverage. CNBC noted it would include microtransactions, while MTV reported it could serve as a learning tool for newcomers to the band.
In September 2023, it was announced the game would end service on December 26, 2023. On December 1, 2024, a revamp titled "Season 2" was announced. Most original content was preserved, but the sequel introduces puzzle gameplay with card-collecting elements and new casual spaces called "BTS Land." It launched on December 17, 2024.
Quick Facts
- Released
- June 26, 2019
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Genre
- Visual novel
- Modes
- Single-player
- Developer
- Takeone Company Corp
- Publisher
- Netmarble
- Title
- BTS World
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
BTS World is a visual novel where most of the story relies on clicking through interactions between the user and game characters. The game is based on conversations and choices that impact the later chapters. The player can also style the characters and play a card game to achieve a specific score. The game uses real photos and voice recordings of the BTS members. Its official website has galleries of photos and videos of the members as the game characters. Another mode, Another Story, has similar gameplay but different stories, as each focuses on the player and only one member of BTS as if they were not together back then.
Reader's Guide
BTS World was developed by TakeOne Company and published by Netmarble, with a development period of two years. Netmarble claimed that the group's strong fanbase 'leads to a good potential market for creating a brand-new game.' The game is based on the members' true personalities. On September 2023, it was announced the game ended service on December 26, 2023. On December 1st of 2024, the revamp of BTS World was announced, subtitled as 'Season 2.' Most of the contents from the original were preserved in Season 2, but unlike the original, the sequel presents puzzle gameplay mechanics with card-collecting elements, with brand new features like casual spaces called 'BTS Land.' It launched on December 17, 2024. The game features original music from the group, and an accompanying soundtrack album, BTS World: Original Soundtrack, was released worldwide on June 28, 2019. The soundtrack was supported by three collaboration singles: 'Dream Glow' by Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook featuring Charli XCX; 'A Brand New Day' by J-Hope and V featuring Zara Larsson; and 'All Night' by RM and Suga featuring Juice Wrld. On June 26, the game's official theme song and the soundtrack's lead single, 'Heartbeat,' was revealed in-game after its release. Before being released, the game received significant media coverage. CNBC said the game 'will offer opportunities for microtransactions.' MTV reports for people who are not familiar with the band, 'the game could become a powerful learning tool for anyone just getting into their music.'
Did You Know?
- BTS World was released in over 175 countries on June 26, 2019.
- The game ended service on December 26, 2023, and a revamp titled 'Season 2' launched on December 17, 2024.
- The soundtrack includes collaboration singles with Charli XCX, Zara Larsson, and Juice Wrld.
- Another Story mode focuses on the player with only one BTS member, as if they were not together back then.
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