BTS will officially kick off their world tour titled “BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’” on April 9, 2026, in Goyang, South кσяєα. The tour will run through March 2027, featuring a total of 82 concerts across 34 cities throughout North αмєяι¢α, Europe, South αмєяι¢α, and Asia. Given its mαѕѕive scale, industry experts have described BTS’s tour as nothing short of a global festival.
Naturally, the return of the tour has also brought renewed attention to one of the most iconic elements of BTS concerts: the ARMY Bomb. The first official lightstick was introduced by BigHit in 2015. In 2017 and 2018, the company released two upgraded versions, completing features such as app-based control and full performance synchronization.
In 2020, BigHit went on to release the special MAP OF THE SOUL version, which featured exclusive design elements tied to the album era and was produced as a limited edition. For the next four years, this remained the most recent lightstick version available to fans. That changed on February 5, when BigHit Music announced the release of ARMY Bomb Ver. 4 for the group’s upcoming world tour. Detailed information regarding the purchase of Ver. 4 will be announced separately on Weverse Shop at 11:00 a.m. KST on Friday, February 6, 2026.
While roughly half of the fanbase expressed excitement over the new lightstick update, the other half began focusing on an accompanying notice regarding regulations for both older and newer ARMY Bomb versions. According to the announcement, wireless control functionality will remain available for BTS’s official lightstick Ver. 3, the special edition, and Ver. 4 until the conclusion of the BTS World Tour ARIRANG concert in Las Vegas on May 28, 2026. Starting from the Busan concert on June 12, 2026, only ARMY Bomb Ver. 4 will be compatible with full wireless synchronization throughout the entire concert.
HYBE stated that concerts supporting only Ver. 4 will feature enhanced lighting effects, improved coordination, and more advanced interactive elements. The transition to Ver. 4 marks the first time older lightstick models have been completely excluded from the synchronization system at concert venues. In the past, even as newer versions were released, the most recent older models continued to maintain compatibility.
This detail has sparked widespread discussion among fans. Many expressed disappointment that previous versions—often expensive and rarely used—have now become effectively worthless at concerts. This sentiment is especially strong among fans who purchased the limited and most expensive MAP OF THE SOUL special edition lightstick but never had the chance to use it, as all live performances were canceled due to the ¢σνι∂-19 pandemic, and who now find that it will no longer be usable in future concerts.
One fan commented, "Idc i’m bringing my old sh*t and ruining the color coordination because hybe is so greedy for this……. my light stick was so expensive and i know i bought it like 8 years ago but is removing the old versions really necessary??? capitalist hellscape".
Many others voiced their frustration, saying that HYBE is prioritizing profit over the fan experience, stating:
- I absolutely HATE THISThis company is just greedy atp
- i knew @HYBEOFFICIALtwt is greedy but to be this greedy esp. after armys are spending arms n legs to buy albums & ticket concerts?! @BIGHIT_MUSIC fckn shame on y'all seriously
- Literally f*ck Hybe. They just want people to spend money on the new lightstick (yes it’s beautiful) but seriously so f*cking greedy
- wtf so my mots light stick is turning obsolete??? wtf do they know how EXPENSIVE that sh*t was and I didn't get to use it????
- the concept of making the mots edition incompatible when the vast majority of ppl who bought it never got to use it
- wait i haven’t been able to use mine cause the mots tour got cancelled and now you telling me it won’t sync up in the future
- them not even mentioning versions 1 and 2 of the lightstick OFBRJRGRHDB hybe u will Pay for this….
- i havent even used my mots se !!!! whyd they sell it for SO LONG until RECENTLY if they werent going to be compatible omg
- it’s just frustrating for those of us who’ve had the V3/SE for several years and still haven’t been able to take it to a single bts concert
- bought my new SE just 6 months ago at the jin concert…now it’s not even usable at the bts concert. kinda actually pissed rn
