EXO’s fan assembly poster / Courtesy of SM Leisure
EXO has revealed its first official six-member group photograph with out CBX (Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin), ending months of hypothesis after the group appeared with solely a emblem on a significant award present poster.
The group will maintain its fan assembly “EXO’verse” on Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. and seven p.m. at Encourage Enviornment in Jung District, Incheon. The occasion marks EXO’s first fan assembly in about one 12 months and eight months, with each classes promoting out throughout fan membership presales — an indication of the group’s continued drawing energy.
The newly launched poster is incomes buzz as a result of it’s the first time EXO’s six-member lineup has appeared collectively. The reveal additionally places to relaxation a small controversy from earlier this 12 months, when the “2025 Melon Music Awards” poster confirmed solely EXO’s crew emblem — prompting viral jokes that “the group had no usable photograph on account of fixed member modifications.”
The brand new picture lastly offers followers what they have been ready for, changing memes with an precise group portrait.
Who’s in — and who’s out
A key level of consideration is the six members. CBX, who’ve been embroiled in authorized disputes with SM Leisure, are absent. As a substitute, the poster options Lay, who left the crew in April 2022, and D.O. (Do Kyung-soo), who departed SM in January 2023 to determine his personal company. Their return for group actions marks a uncommon reunion and a significant shift in EXO’s lineup.
Within the poster, the six members seem in mushy lighting and relaxed poses, making a heat, understated temper that builds anticipation for the fan assembly and upcoming promotions.
Business watchers interpret the visible as SM’s formal affirmation that EXO will proceed with a six-member system.
Why CBX gained’t be part of
CBX’s dispute with SM dates again to 2023, once they claimed the corporate failed to supply settlement paperwork and compelled them into unfair contracts. Though either side finally agreed to keep up their unique contracts whereas permitting the trio to pursue solo work by INB100, many of the trio’s authorized challenges led to losses.
In October, CBX expressed a need to hitch EXO’s full-group comeback. Nonetheless, SM stated the “settlement dispute and group actions are separate points,” citing damaged belief between the trio and the opposite EXO members.
INB100 responded that CBX would “faithfully comply with the prevailing settlement” and “do its finest to revive belief and pursue amicable discussions,” however SM remained unmoved.
With the battle unresolved, EXO will proceed as a six-member group by subsequent 12 months, together with its deliberate full-group comeback.
The group is scheduled to launch its eighth full album within the first quarter of subsequent 12 months.
This text from Xportsnews is tailored by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Instances.
