Summary
ArcaneSeason 2 is in full swing, but it’s a bittersweet moment as fans know this will be the last season for Netflix’sLeague of Legendsadaptation. However, it appears Riot Games may not be done in the animated space just yet.
Arcaneis Riot Games’ first foray into the movie and TV space, with the animated series bringing to life the stories of some ofLeague of Legends’most iconic champions in a stunning visual style from animation studio Fortiche. The series is densely packed with world-building, origin stories, and lore that has drawn in fans worldwide, some who are familiar with Riot’s games and many who are not. Co-creator Christian Linke confirmed earlier in 2024 thatArcaneSeason 2 would be the last for the series but that the team had many more ideas indevelopment set in theLeague of Legendsworld.
2 New League of Legends Adaptations Potentially Revealed
Not much is known about these potential sequels and spin-offs from Riot Games, although a new report has shed some light. In a recentVarietyarticle, Riot’s co-founder Marc Merrill revealed some of the plans the studio has enacted beyondArcane. The executive revealed that Riot has purchased an “entire season’s worth of scripts” for a live-action series based onLeague of LegendsIP. The series is being written by Justin Piasecki, the screenwriter behind Riz Ahmed and Lily James’recent filmRelay. What’s notable about this information is that theLeague of Legendsseries will allegedly be live-action rather than animated, which would break new ground for the IP.
Riot has purchased an “entire season’s worth of scripts” for a live-action series based onLeague of LegendsIP.
Variety also provided another detail about one of the projects Linke has in the works afterArcane, with the outlet reporting a “feature animation project” from the co-creator, is currently being considered. Linke has hinted in press interviews forArcaneSeason 2 that some of the ideas they’ve been thinking about involvecontinuations of characters’ stories fromArcane. This suggests that an animated feature film, potentially in collaboration with Fortiche, may be the form that anArcanesequel takes.
Arcane’s Budget May Have Shifted Riot’s Strategy
This variation in styles could be in reaction to the other news that came from Variety’s report, which revealedArcaneis the most expensive animated series ever produced. Two seasons of the Netflix animation, comprising 18 episodes, reportedly cost $250 million to produce. WhileArcanehas been a resounding success for the company, earning high viewership numbers andawards at the Emmys and Annies, financially it is unlikely to recoup its budget.
This could be the reason Riot is looking at experimenting with different mediums for further adaptations of its video game IP. Animated feature films and live-action series have different budget expectations and could also lead to different revenue streams, like box office and licensing returns, so this may be the reason Riot is looking at different genres beyond the belovedformat it has established withArcane.
ArcaneSeason 2 will release its final episodes on November 16 and November 23 on Netflix.
Arcane
Arcane is an animated series developed by Alex Yee and Christian Linke that follows a the story of Piltover and Zaun, two pivotal locations in the League of Legends universe. The first season follows the stories of Jynx and Vi, as well as Jayce and Viktor.
