League of Legends Capitalizing on Arcane For 1 Character Is a Mixed Bag

League of Legendshas long been one of the biggest games on the planet, so it’s only fitting that its adaptation would eventually become lauded as one of the best ever made.Arcanehas officially ended after two short seasons, with the finale providing a bittersweet conclusion for fans of the series.Arcanehas even helped draw in new fans that may have never interacted withLeague of Legendsotherwise, but this has come with some previously unintended consequences.

Despite the immense popularity ofArcaneSeason 1, Riot insisted that the show was not canon, and that it would not have any broader consequences forLeague of Legends. This has completely changed as of late, withArcanenow serving as theofficial backstory forLeague of Legends, and several corners of the game’s lore being adjusted accordingly. This is great news for fans ofArcaneand its original characters, but someLeague of Legendsveterans are biting their nails over one classic character receiving a design overhaul.

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Major League of Legends Updates Align with New Arcane Canon

Arcane is Slowly Replacing League of Legends Lore

Arcane’s first major impact onLeague of Legendswas the simple addition of skins that referenced the show. This is about as inoffensive as it gets, as it allows fans of the game and the show to embrace whichever version they prefer. However,ArcaneSeason 2 brought with it a very different approach to adaptation, which has begun to sound alarm bells over the much-feared concept of brand synergy.

This was first felt whenAmbessa joinedLeague of Legendsas a playable Champion. Ambessa was released as a powerhouse reflective of her reputation inArcane, and she has already left a lasting impact on the game’s meta. Ambessa’s design was a solid dose of fan service for fans ofArcane, and showed that Riot was serious about makingArcaneinto the new canon forLeague of Legends. These efforts have only grown more prominent since, for better or for worse.

Just like her mother, Mel Medarda was first introduced inSeason 1 ofArcane. Despite not showing much potential for a playable kit in Season 1, Mel’s arc in Season 2 changed this drastically. By the end ofArcane, Mel has acquired a powerful set of abilities, and the end of the show coincided with an announcement that Mel will also be made playable in the near future. However, the most controversial decision doesn’t come from new releases, but from the changes made to an existing character.

Viktor’s League of Legends Rework Aligns with Arcane Design and Backstory

Viktor was released as a playable Champion in 2011, only two years afterLeague of Legendsfirst launched. Now, more than ten years since his release, Viktor is receiving a rework. Viktor’s gameplay will be mostly untouched, save for a buff to his Ultimate, but his design and backstory are both being updated to reflect his appearance inArcane.

It wasn’t long after the announcement was made before this decision was met with the expected controversy. Some fans are livid at the loss of Viktor’s classic design, others are celebrating the arrival of his new one, and plenty more are more lukewarm on the whole subject. With reasonable arguments rising from all sides, the pros of Viktor’s redesign are just as readily apparent as the cons.

Viktor’s Arcane Rework League of Legends Could Be a Double Edged-Sword

Comparing Viktor in Arcane vs. League of Legends

After all, Viktor is one of themost important characters inArcane. Although the main plot undoubtedly centers around Vi, Jinx, and Caitlyn, the show’s main subplot is guided by none other than Jayce and Viktor himself. Viktor’s story is ultimately one of fighting against a perceived flaw, only to find acceptance with the people who have loved him not despite those flaws, but because of them.

Viktor’s narrative inArcanehas touched many hearts, causing numerous viewers to fall deeply in love with this interpretation of the character. However, that doesn’t change the fact that this depiction is rather different fromLeague’s original version of Viktor. First and foremost, Viktor is much more mechanical inLeague of Legends, compared to the more organic Eldritch horror fans were introduced to in thefinal episodes ofArcaneSeason 2.

This simple design change does reveal a significant difference in each version’s lore. In theoriginal lore ofLeague of Legends, Viktor believed entirely in the supremacy of machines, and would stop at nothing to prove that supremacy. Known as The Machine Herald, Viktor blamed most of history’s tragedies on human error, and was determined to replace that error with a more perfect machine.

InArcane, Viktor is much more similar to a cult leader. Viktor subjugates the wills of his followers, and claims that they all live in perfect harmony. While technology is still very much a part of his character, it is handled with an element of mysticism that is profoundly distinct from his origins as The Machine Herald. Despite this difference, the core of Viktor’s character remains the same, as both versions ruthlessly pursue their ideal of Glorious Evolution at the expense of everything else.

League of Legends May Stake its Future on Viktor’s Arcane Rework

Despite the heart of Viktor’s character remaining intact, some fans remain angry at the majorchangesArcanehas made toLeague of Legendslore. This is an unfortunate consequence of many adaptations, in which the source material can be overwritten by the version that becomes more popular. This immediately calls into question why Riot would make such a divisive design change the new status quo, especially given its earlier remarks on the series' canon.

There is one simple hypothesis that appears to make this contradiction make sense, and is likely the motivation behind Riot’s priorities here. There are very likely relatively fewLeague of Legendsplayers who have not seenArcane, compared to the no doubt countless number of fans that have watchedArcanewithout ever logging ontoLeague of Legends. Riot no doubt wants to close this gap as much as possible, and the first step in doing so is catering to fans ofArcanewho have no other prior attachment toLeaguelore.

This unfortunately means that years of precedent may be erased in the blink of an eye. On the other hand, the game may reach wider than ever before, with new fans being met by what made them fall in love with the series in the first place. Whatever the case, there’s no denying thatLeague of Legendslore wasn’t exactly consistent to begin with. With the series now treatingLeague of Legendsshows likeArcaneas the new canon, it may actually find a more consistent road map than ever before. Of course, the full implications of Viktor’s impending rework are yet to be seen.