Virtual boy group PLAVE has announced the release of their 5th mini album, HYPERDRIVE, scheduled for digital release on October 12, 2026.

A teaser image unveiled the name and release date for the album as well as hinting at its concept. Text is etched into the gravel of a racetrack alongside PLAVE’s logo, layered with tire marks and closely linked to the name HYPERDRIVE itself.

The timing of this new project coincides with a touring milestone for PLAVE. Last weekend, the quintet kicked off their first world tour [KEEP IT MANIC] with their first stadium-scale performance, hosting 70,000 fans across two nights at the Incheon Munhak Main Stadium. In the past, the group have sold out various venues in Seoul – from KSPO Dome’s 15,000 to the 25,000 capacity of the Gocheok Sky Dome – but a sell-out at Incheon Munhak Main Stadium marks their largest performance yet by a significant margin.

PLAVE garnered attention from their debut. As a virtual idol group, with digital visuals and true appearances hidden, they pioneered a new form of K-pop that leans into motion-suit technology and away from the expectation of physical perfection. With that, however, came questions and a level of skepticism over how concert performances could compete with those of non-virtual idols, even with the human foundation behind them. This milestone proves that the venture has been and continues to be successful, and is now capable of holding events at a stadium previously used by major artists like BTS’ Jin, NCT, and SEVENTEEN.

Throughout the remainder of the tour, Yejun, Noah, Bamby, Eunho and Hamin will visit Kanagawa, Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei, Macao and – making their U.S. debut – Los Angeles. Many of the tickets for their performance at the Pasadena Convention Center in California have already been sold out of the total capacity of 3,000. 

HYPERDRIVE builds on this momentum. Its October 12 digital release date and October 13 physical release date sets the album in the middle of the group’s touring schedule, prior to their U.S. debut, and intends to boost traction surrounding both PLAVE’s music and their live performances for maximum visibility and impact.

Fans can expect more teasers regarding HYPERDRIVE to be unveiled prior to October 12, alongside new performance content. Tickets for their show in Los Angeles, taking place on November 14, are available on Ticketmaster now.