Arcane: what does the future hold for the Netflix event series ? Season 3, sequels… We explain everything

Arcane ended its run on Netflix on November 23, 2024. An acclaimed animated series, its universe adapted from League of Legends continues to expand.

Fans are in mourning: Arcane ended its second season on November 23, 2024. Acclaimed for its visual prowess, praised for its plot and characters,  the animated series will have definitely created the event during its three years of broadcasting.

Because no, there will be no season 3 ofArcane. This is what the series' co-creator, Christian Linke, explained last June, explaining that he had concluded the Vi and Jinx arc. According to information from Variety, Riot Games and Fortiche Studios had original plans to make the series last five seasons.

But due to the pharaonic cost linked to labor and budget overruns (estimated at $250 million according to the American media, which would make it the most expensive animated series in history with only 18 episodes), ambitions had to be revised downwards.

Three spin-off series in preparation

But if the arc of Vi, Jinx, Jayce and Viktor found a conclusion at the end of this second season, that doesn't mean that we won't find the League of Legends universe in an animated series. Christian Linke said that “Arcane” is just the beginning of our journey to tell a larger story, and it's just the beginning of our partnership with the wonderful Parisian animation studio Fortiche. The opportunity to discover new champions, but also new lands of Runeterra.

Christian Linke confirmed on Twitch that he is working on three spin-off series: these will not take place in Piltover and Zaun, but will reveal the still little-known regions of Noxus, Ionia and Demacia. With characters seen inArcane back ? Only time will tell.  In the meantime, you can watch the two complete seasons of'Arcane on Netflix.

series profile

Two sisters, Vi and Powder, are taken in after their parents die by Vander, the rebel leader and mayor of the poor and underground district of Zaun, located not far from the prosperous city of Piltover. Years later, during a robbery that goes wrong at Piltover, Vi and Powder discover mysterious crystals in an apartment they try to burgle. The story of the two girls, but also of several key characters in the city, will then be completely turned upside down.

For American voices:

• Hailee Steinfeld: Vi
• Ella Purnell: Powder/Jinx
• Kevin Alejandro: Jayce
• Harry Lloyd: Viktor
• Katie Leung: Caitlyn
• Jason Spisak: Silco
• Toks Olagundoye: Mel
• JB White: Vander
• Remy Hii: Marcus
• Reed Shannon: Ekko

For French voices:

• Alice Taurand: Vi
• Adeline Chetail: Powder/Jinx
• Franck Sportis: Jayce
• Cédric Dumont : Victor
• Elsa Davoine: Caitlyn
• Bernard Gabay: Silco
• Géraldine Asselin : Mel
• Boris Rehlinger: Vander
• Jim Redler: Marcus
• Aurélien Raynal : Ekko

Arcane is not broadcast on television and can only be viewed in streaming. You just need a Netflix account to discover the series which has two seasons. Remember that a subscription to the streaming platform is paid, and that the price can vary from 5.99 euros/month (with advertising) to 19.99 euros/month.

Acclaimed by critics and audiences, many call Arcane a "masterpiece", when it doesn't appear in first place among the best Netflix original series of all time. If season 2 didn't tick all the boxes, we can only advise you to take a look at Arcane if you haven't already. No need to be familiar with the League of Legends universe, since the writing is precise enough to make the series accessible to newbies, while remaining enjoyable for players. 

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The huge strong point ofArcane, and what makes it such an acclaimed and qualitative series is its ambitions. The creators of the series constantly renew the animation and photography, using many techniques to serve their narratives (particularly in season 2, particularly visually rich), to offer a visual slap in the face to each episode. The dubbing as well as the soundtrack that accompanies each of the sequences are at the height of the visual ambitions of this adult animated series. Arcane serves Netflix subscribers a great spectacle in each episode. On the narrative level, the first season of'Arcane &c;was a real feat. It took everyone by surprise by developing head-on the irreconcilable rupture of two sisters who were once accomplices, by reflecting a class struggle between a city luxurious and a poor city. All part of a political game and scientific research that exceeds their characters. In this respect, the first season is excellent for making all these intrigues coexist and offering the (very numerous) characters all the dimension they deserve.

On the other hand, season 2 gives more the impression of being rushed. The fault mainly lies with the drastic reduction in the number of episodes. Too many plots to conclude in too short a time. This is done at the expense of the essential themes of the series (political reflections on the creation of a police state, class struggles between the two cities are put to the test), the clarity of the plot and a fluid evolution of the characters, but never without emotion.

Writing-wise, Season 2 (particularly the first three episodes) may not have lived up to the stratospheric expectations, but that doesn't mean it's a failure. Where clarity and thematic ambitions have been lost, emotion has always been at the rendezvous, particularly in the last episodes. Arcane remains a serial gem like we do too few, always impressive and moving, aiming for excellence in each shot. Despite its flaws at the end of the journey, we really can't wait to discover what Fortiche and Riot Games have in store for Netflix subscribers at the future.

How is createdArcane ?

Fans figured it out with season 1, Arcane is definitely not an animated series like any other and is extremely costly in terms of time and investment, hence the three-year wait between the two seasons. At a conference attended by journalists and French animation students in Paris, before the release of season 2, the producers of the series detailed the process of creating new episodes: “it can take up to a year between writing the script for an episode and directing it,” explain Pascal Charrue, founder of Fortiche and co-director of season 2, Bart Maunoury, directing creator, Kianna Manker, producer and Amanda Overton, script editor.

While the series does not use motion capture at all, the animators film each other to detail the scenes before animating them, in order to adopt a style “semi-realistic”.””On average, we produce half a second per day per animator”, they specified.”And to tease season 2,”in the continuity of the first graphically speaking, but better”. Nothing but ça.

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Such an ambition, however, entails numerous costs. According to information from the American media Variety, Arcane would have cost more than 250 million dollars for its two seasons (production and promotion, a cost that has not however been confirmed by Riot Games), becoming the most expensive animated series in history with “only” 18 episodes. The English-language media, however, assures that the series will not be profitable for the studio, and will allow it, at best, to cover its costs.