Netflix confirms Emmy-winning series Arcane ending after two seasons
Key Takeaways
- Arcane will officially end after season 2, with no further renewals.
- The Emmy-winning series is based on League of Legends, achieving major success.
- There are hints of more stories set in the League of Legends universe despite Arcane ending.
The Emmy-winning animated series Arcane will officially end after season 2. Netflix confirmed the show will not be renewed for further seasons alongside the official teaser for the second season.
Based on the hit MOBA League of Legends, Arcane debuted as a Netflix original in 2021. It centers around sisters Jinx and Vi who become wrapped up in conflict between the two cities of Piltover and Zaun over arcane technologies. Its run resulted in four Primetime Emmy awards, including Outstanding Animated Program, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation, and three Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation awards for episodes four, six, and seven. It was the first video game adaptation to win both Annie Awards and Primetime Emmys and currently has a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Season 2 will air starting in November of this year exclusively on Netflix.
I will be spoiling the ending of Arcane Season 1 to explain how it sets up Season 2. Please watch the first season before reading further if you haven't already.
Arcane Season 2 will complete the story
But it may not be the last we see of Runeterra
The first season of Arcane covered the strained relationship of Vi and Jinx as they ended up on opposing sides of a greater conflict. When peace finally seems like an option, Jinx attacks the Piltover Council with a rocket that potentially kills many major characters. At best, this attack will only end the peace negotiations, but at worse result in the deaths of the entire Council.
The Season 2 teaser seems to confirm the worst-case scenario with an all-out war breaking out. It all leads up to what looks to be one final confrontation between the estranged sisters.
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Despite being the final season of Arcane, creator Christian Linke has hinted that it may not be the only story set in the League of Legends universe we get. “‘Arcane’ is just the beginning of our larger storytelling journey and partnership with the wonderful animation studio that is Fortiche. From the very beginning, since we started working on this project, we had a very specific ending in mind, which means the story of ‘Arcane’ wraps up with this second season. But ‘Arcane’ is just the first of many stories that we want to tell in Runeterra.”
Was Arcane really canceled?
Or was this always the plan?
The exact wording doesn't state that Netflix canceled Arcane, but rather that this was the show's intended endpoint. As Linke himself stated in the quote above, the team went into Arcane with a complete story in mind, which they just so happened to finish in two seasons. It's too early to say for certain, but it certainly appears as though Studio Fortiche and Riot Games intend to bring more of its characters and stories into animated series. Considering the overwhelming success of Arcane, it feels like a safe bet that Netflix would want to secure whatever new project comes from this team next.
Arcane Season 2 will premiere sometime in November exclusively on Netflix.
