Minor spoilers for both Seasons 1 and 2 of Arcane lie ahead. If you still need to catch up or want to watch, check out the show with a Netflix subscription.
Arcane Season 2 has been in the works for some time, and it finally began premiering as part of the 2024 TV schedule after a three-year hiatus. Honestly, back in 2021, I wasn't even aware the series existed and had never played League of Legends, the game the show is based on. I always wondered why I enjoyed the show so much even though I had never touched the game – and when I spoke to co-creator Christian Linke on behalf of CinemaBlend, he explained that to me perfectly.
This particular video game adaptation has been showered with praise and is easily one of the best shows on Netflix. Despite Arcane only running for two seasons, the series has a huge fanbase composed of both lovers of the game and newcomers to the franchise, like me. I didn't even become aware of the series until a close friend of mine introduced it to me because he loved the game and the show.
There are plenty of others like me, and I've always been curious about the process of making a series like this that catered not only to the fans of the franchise itself but also to newcomers. So, of course, when I spoke to Christian Linke about it, he said that the creative team's primary goal for the series wasn't just to make it a clear-cut adaptation – it was to tell a story that is "universal" and that everyone could connect with:
I think we worked really hard to tell a story that is universal. I know that everyone says that. But I think at the end of the day, there is a story of two sisters, where it's about the dynamic of a bigger older sister, younger sister. And I think that's very relatable to a lot of people…anyone who has siblings knows what that is like. And for Jayce and Viktor, it's also sort of central to the story; it's about that common dream of two people who work on something together, but kind of drift apart over time, as this dream becomes bigger and bigger and bigger. I think that's really what the fundamental story is, that it's relatable. If you then kind of pepper in Hextech, and technology, and arcane magic, all these things, that's set-dressing. At the heart of it, it's a character story.
As someone who already loves some of the best fantasy movies and shows regardless, something like Arcane would be right up my alley, even if I didn't know of the story. But Linke is right – the idea of a universally relatable story within this magical world is genuinely what lures people in.
But that's not the only reason that the acclaimed series has found so much success. The show was in production for a decade and, while, it's undoubtedly one of Netflix's best offerings now, it took a long time for it to get there. Christian Linke commented on how a decade ago, the world of video games and TV were "separate." However, thanks to the modern age, more and more video games are getting the universal adaptations they properly deserve:
I think we're living in a really Golden Era, where 10 years ago, the gaming world and the mainstream pop world – they were separate. But over the last few years, it kind of moved together. Suddenly, you have influential personalities all over the world, actors and actresses, sports people, and so on, embracing games and game IPs. And so, I think suddenly the whole world's paying attention to, 'Hey, what do games have to say? I'm kind of interested in this now.' So, I think that's also part of it, that I think the world was also ready for the first time to be like, 'All right, I'll take this seriously.'
There has been a massive influx of incredibly well-received video game adaptations beyond Arcane over the past few years. We could talk about HBO's The Last of Us, which is receiving a second season. There's also the fact that Amazon Prime's Fallout Season 2 is on the way, following the success of the first season. And let's not forget the recently released Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, which has been a big hit on Netflix and is returning for another season.
But don't forget the simple fact that all of the shows above were preceded by Arcane and, now, it's taking its final bow, with the series' final three episodes airing later this week on November 23.
As the show nears its conclusion, Christian Linke did open my mind to a lot more upcoming video game adaptations that are worth getting excited about. If they all tell a universal story like Linke's, I'm sure I'll enjoy them as well.
