Girl group H1-KEY becomes ambassador to promote esports festival 

Girl group H1-KEY was named as an official ambassador for the IEF 2026 International e-Sports Festival, the group's agency Choi Creative Lab said Tuesday.

The esports festival, hosted by the International Exchange Federation, is a national team competition where student delegations from around 10 countries compete. The event will be held in November.

“It is our honor to be with the [International e-Sports Festival] 2026 as promotional ambassadors, and we will support and cheer for all teenage athletes with the mindset of giving our best on stage,” H1-KEY said.

The girl group is expected to participate in producing promotional content and social media campaigns and join the event on-site.

The group’s agency said the group’s youthful identity aligns with core values of esports, which encourages young players to take on challenges and grow.  

H1-KEY debuted in January 2022 with its first single “Athletic Girl.” It has since released EPs “Thinkin’ About You” (2024), “Deeper” (2024) and “Lovestruck” (2025). The group is set to appear at Waterbomb Seoul 2026 in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on July 26.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]