[citation needed] In 2016, Ling Qi was a member of the pre-debut Chinese boy group X-Time and in 2018 he participated in the survival competition show Idol Producer.

[4][5] The show brought 55 contestants from around the world, primarily in South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, and the United States, to compete and to debut in a multinational boy group.

[7] On August 23, it was announced that Fantasy Boys will debut as an 11-member group without Yu Jun-won due to disagreement between his parents and the agency.

[16][17] Kang Min-seo and Lee Han-bin participated in JTBC's reality competition show Project 7.

[18] Hong Sung-min, Hikari, and Ling Qi participated in IQIYI's reality competition show Starlight Boys.

[22] On January 25, 2025, it was announced via fan café post that K-Soul will no longer be part of Fantasy Boys with his ongoing 15 month hiatus.