DV8: Groningen’s Virtual K-Pop Experience

NeoSpectra, a team of five young developers based in Groningen, has been breaking new ground with DV8, a virtual K-pop-inspired band. The team, Alexia Stoica, Daiana El Ahmed, Jurriën de Rooij, Martin Straka, and Raresh Chiorcau, began the project as a Game Lab assignment but quickly became passionate about creating something bigger.

“From the start, we wanted DV8 to have a message,” the team explains. “The band’s name, pronounced ‘deviate,’ reflects our core idea: stay true to yourself, even if it means going against the norm.”

The team began by researching virtual performers and popular music genres, settling on a four-member K-pop girl group formation. Each member has a distinct role: main vocalist, visual, rapper, and dancer, with choreography and music carefully crafted to showcase their personalities. The music itself fuses genres like Trap, Hip-hop, and Dubstep, designed to keep energy high and captivate audiences.

To bring their characters to life, NeoSpectra used Unreal MetaHumans combined with Xsens motion capture suits. “Animating everything by hand would have been impossible,” the team says. “Using motion capture allowed us to capture complex choreography and translate it directly onto the characters.” Costume design also played a key role, with outfits reflecting each member’s personality, from the rapper’s snake-inspired jacket to the vocalist’s wolf-themed fur motifs.

The final production included a holographic projection of the band, synchronized with a custom grandMA3 lighting show, and showcased at De Oosterpoort on June 2nd, 2025. “Seeing over 100 people attend our shows and enjoy DV8 was a dream come true,” the team recalls.

Following the overwhelmingly positive reception, NeoSpectra plans to continue developing DV8 and bring it to more stages and events in the future.

Check out the live performance video and SPOT Groningen’s short recap of the project below.

Developer Studio: Neospectra
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d_v__8/