On February 8, IST Entertainment officially confirmed the launch of a new boy group in 2021 through a global survival program.

The agency released in a press statement on this day, "IST Entertainment's new rookie boy group is expected to debut in the first half of 2022 and will begin large-scale debut promotions. Beginning in February, the new boy group members will be introduced through a survival program, airing via MBN, Kakao TV, and the K-Pop media platform 1theK." 

The upcoming boy group survival series will be jointly produced by Kakao Entertainment and Sony Music Solutions, and will feature various sunbae K-Pop artists as well as professionals as judges. The contestants will also have the chance to receive evaluations by a live audience. 

Meanwhile, IST Entertainment was previously formed in November of last year after a merger between Play M Entertainment and Cre.Ker Entertainment. The agency is currently home to A Pink, VICTON, The Boyz, and Weeekly.