It seems the journey of Arcane is wrapping up after just two seasons, putting to rest the swirl of rumors suggesting a potential five-season run. These rumors were finally addressed by the creators behind League of Legends.
In an unexpected twist earlier this year, Netflix revealed that Arcane’s sophomore season would indeed be its swan song, despite many fans’ hopes for more. This decision is largely due to Riot’s expansive vision for the animated series set in the League of Legends universe. Somehow, whispers began circulating that Arcane was initially planned for five seasons. However, Marc Merrill, the co-founder of Riot and one of League of Legends’ creators, took to Reddit to clear things up. He emphasized that the series “was always written to be two seasons.”
Merrill elaborated, “Internally, there was talk about budgeting for ‘approving 5 seasons’—a financial discussion aimed at earmarking funds for extensive development, not tied to Arcane’s storyline.” Considering the hefty $250 million budget reportedly spent on the series, including marketing, it’s easy to see why speculation arose. Nonetheless, he stressed, “The priority has always been about creating something amazing, and that focus remains with Riot and our teams.”
He continued, “We’ve consistently aimed to tell more stories and keep expanding our universe. That vision hasn’t changed, even if some headlines have muddied the waters. We just hadn’t addressed them until now. It’s important to clarify that, while we have ambitious goals, it doesn’t mean these projects can be churned out on a production line. Crafting games that captivate players is challenging, and so is developing compelling stories and top-notch shows or films, especially when starting from scratch.”
In conclusion, Arcane was never destined for five seasons, despite any budgetary discussions. But, as our own Connor can attest, season two is proving incredibly captivating and hard to resist binge-watching.
