A group of paparazzi photos - quickly amplified across every major EXO fan community - shows at least four members entering SM Entertainment's Seongsu-dong recording facility within the same two-hour window on Tuesday evening. The photos, later corroborated by additional sightings shared across Weverse, have reignited years of accumulated speculation about whether 2026 will finally bring a full EXO group comeback.
Baekhyun, who completed his mandatory military service earlier than most of his groupmates, has been the most active member in recent months - releasing solo music, headlining his own tours, and consistently dropping public hints about missing the group dynamic. In a December radio interview, he said directly: "There are songs we have made together that people have not heard yet. I want them to hear those songs." The quote sent EXO-L communities into a frenzy that has not fully subsided since.
D.O. and Kai have also been visibly active creatively in recent weeks - Kai announced a new solo project while simultaneously describing the coming year as "a year for reconnection," and D.O. made his most explicit comeback hint yet in a fan signing event, confirming that he has been participating in group recording sessions.
SM Entertainment has not made any official statement, which EXO-L fans - experienced at reading between the label's carefully controlled lines of communication - interpret as a positive signal. The label's usual practice is to release an official denial when speculation is unfounded; the absence of one is seen as implicit confirmation that something is in progress.
What would a 2026 EXO comeback look like? With several members now past their military obligations and solo careers at various stages of maturity, the group returns with a collective creative toolkit far richer than when they last released group music. Test your knowledge with the EXO quiz and see if you can still name every member's signature moment.