After a long awaited three years, Arcane Season 2 is finally here. Premiering on November 9, the steampunk animated series picks up where it left off with class divides and technological advancements threatening to forever strain the relationship between sisters Vi and Jinx. Season 2, which will be released on Netflix in three acts over the next few weeks, is also the final for the League Of Legends-adapted show, which begs the question: What’s next for Riot Games’ TV and movie ambitions?
“There’s definitely more to come. Arcane is just the first,” co-creator and showrunner Christian Linke tells Refinery29. “There’s over 160-something [League Of Legends] champions now, and many are amazing characters that can carry their own franchises. We just want to grow and do more of this.”
Linke, who also served as executive producer, admits there aren’t any projects in production, but says Riot is currently developing follow-ups to the hit show whether it’s stories that continue out of Arcane or new narrative arcs of characters from other regions of the League universe.
It makes sense that Riot is angling to further tap its deep game lore for additional TV shows and films despite Arcane’s reportedly hefty $250 million price tag. The series won four Emmys in 2022, including Outstanding Animated Program, and established Riot as a leader in Hollywood’s recent critical and commercial wins in adapting gaming properties (see: The Last Of Us, Fallout, and Five Nights At Freddy’s).
The also further solidifies Riot’s relationship with its playerbase that’s both deeply loyal to its games yet can be “unmerciful,” as Linke says, when the studio falls short of high expectations.
For gamers, the Golden Age of video game adaptations — Arcane included — has been a welcome relief after decades of lackluster projects (we’re looking at you Super Mario Bros.) that never quite captured the essence of the gameplaying experience or the emotional complex personalities and relationships at the heart of most games. Linke attributes the success of “all boats rising” to the fact that people who have authentic connections with games and grew up putting hundreds of hours in them are now sitting at the table and leading the creative direction of adaptations as creators, showrunners, or directors.
“One of the challenges historically for Hollywood has been that directors and writers are hired guns who look at the gaming world from outside through the window and are like, ‘I think this is what they want?’” Linke says. “When we made Arcane, we made it for ourselves. We were big League players. We love these characters, truly.”
“I really don’t think there has been any successful [adaptation] where you can’t point to that authentic connection, no matter if it’s [Last Of Us co-creator] Neil Druckmann or ourselves and Arcane, who have the game in their blood,” Linke adds.
@refinery29 @Hailee Steinfeld plays Vi in the #Arcane series & shares how she has loved bringing this character to life ✨ @League of Legends #haileesteinfeld #leagueoflegends #womeningaming #gamers @Alexa Rhodes ♬ original sound – Refinery29
As for what League adaptations could be next, Linke says it’s about finding the right projects and the right people to execute them, whether it’s again himself and Arcane co-creator Alex Yee leading or someone else. For what it’s worth, Linke is personally interested in exploring the more whimsical and lighthearted tone that also exists in the gaming franchise. “Things tend to be pretty dark in Arcane,” Linke says. “I think the more artistic, the more abstract [would be fun]. High fantasy stuff is also really fun.”
Maybe it’s Ahri and Lillia frolicking in a magical forest? Or Yordle shenanigans in Bandle City? Just like League comps, the possibilities are endless.
Arcane Season 2 is streaming now on Netflix.
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