EXO finally unveils 6-member group photo without CBX — ending the ‘logo-only’ era
EXO's fan meeting poster / Courtesy of SM Entertainment
EXO has revealed its first official six-member group photo without CBX (Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin), ending months of speculation after the group appeared with only a logo on a major award show poster.
The group will hold its fan meeting “EXO’verse” on Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Inspire Arena in Jung District, Incheon. The event marks EXO’s first fan meeting in about one year and eight months, with both sessions selling out during fan club presales — a sign of the group’s continued drawing power.
The newly released poster is earning buzz because it is the first time EXO’s six-member lineup has appeared together. The reveal also puts to rest a small controversy from earlier this year, when the “2025 Melon Music Awards” poster showed only EXO’s team logo — prompting viral jokes that “the group had no usable photo due to constant member changes.”
The new image finally gives fans what they were waiting for, replacing memes with an actual group portrait.
Who’s in — and who’s out
A key point of attention is the six members. CBX, who have been embroiled in legal disputes with SM Entertainment, are absent. Instead, the poster features Lay, who left the team in April 2022, and D.O. (Do Kyung-soo), who departed SM in January 2023 to establish his own agency. Their return for group activities marks a rare reunion and a major shift in EXO’s lineup.
In the poster, the six members appear in soft lighting and relaxed poses, creating a warm, understated mood that builds anticipation for the fan meeting and upcoming promotions.
Industry watchers interpret the visual as SM’s formal confirmation that EXO will continue with a six-member system.
CBX / Xportsnews
Why CBX won’t join
CBX’s dispute with SM dates back to 2023, when they claimed the company failed to provide settlement documents and forced them into unfair contracts. Although both sides eventually agreed to maintain their exclusive contracts while allowing the trio to pursue solo work through INB100, most of the trio’s legal challenges ended in losses.
In October, CBX expressed a desire to join EXO’s full-group comeback. However, SM said the “settlement dispute and group activities are separate issues,” citing broken trust between the trio and the other EXO members.
INB100 responded that CBX would “faithfully follow the existing agreement” and “do its best to restore trust and pursue amicable discussions,” but SM remained unmoved.
With the conflict unresolved, EXO will proceed as a six-member group through next year, including its planned full-group comeback.
The group is scheduled to release its eighth full album in the first quarter of next year.
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.