-1.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=570&dpr=1.5)
Let's face it, nobody expected Netflix's Arcane to be this good. The show had everything you could want from it - great art, likable characters, an engaging story, and spectacular fight sequences. What's more, it's not restricted only to people who are well versed in League of Legends lore, in fact you don't need to know anything about the game at all. It's no surprise then that Netflix and Riot Games have announced that season 2 of Arcane is already in production.
The show focussed on a number of plotlines - the rising tension between Piltover and the undercity of Zaun, origin stories for iconic characters like Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn, Jayce, and Ekko, and their interpersonal relationships. All of that, packed into a unique release strategy of three episodes a week, made for excellent binge-watching material.
Riot went all out with the promotion of the show as well, securing collaborations with a number of entities within and outside the video games industry. Crossovers were seen in games like PUBG, Fortnite, and Among Us, while cross-industry partnerships were made with Fenty, Rihanna's beauty brand, and Secret Cinema for a live narrative event.
Riot Games itself held a month-long RiotX Arcane event for League Of Legends as well as its other games to celebrate the launch of the show. Themed skins and events were introduced not only to LoL, but also to Teamfight Tactics and Valorant.
Act three of season one dropped only yesterday and already has fans clamouring for more. There's been no release date announced for season two as of yet, but hopefully we won't have to wait too long.
Here's what we thought of act three in our review: "This is a story about trauma, identity, loss, and the messy world of magical politics. It’s all explored to wondrous effect despite an approach to storytelling that often doesn’t give the greater moments enough time to breathe. As Netflix and Riot Games’ first foray into the League of Legends universe through the vein of animation, this is a triumphant debut with only a smattering of shortcomings. It’s smart, gorgeous, sexy, and acts as a perfect entry point for those who’ve never heard of the franchise before. Its reputation doesn’t matter, what does is how it crafts a compelling narrative that invites anyone to lose themselves in its brilliance."