Arcane is the first full-length TV series set in Riot Games' League of Legends universe; it lasted only two seasons, both of which are streaming exclusively on Netflix. It's arguably the best video game adaptation yet made. It takes place in the steampunk city of Piltover and explores the chempunk slums of the Zaun district, popular locales from League of Legends games and lore.
Ever since Netflix aired the series finale of Arcane, fans have been clamoring for answers about when Riot Games is going to give us another show. Well, the good news is that we don't have to wait too long. Apparently, multiple shows are already in various forms of production, and it's likely that one is close to reaching our screens in the next couple of years.
Arcane showrunner and executive producer Christian Linke has confirmed there are three areas of interest for the upcoming animated series, and that one show has been in production for more than a year. At first, fans and news outlets believed this meant that three shows were in the books, but executive producer Marc Merill clarified that Linke meant they were exploring three potential geographical areas where shows might be set, not developing three whole series. This might sound like a bummer, but the uncertainty is actually exciting. We could be getting two shows, or more, who knows?
Areas mentioned include Noxus (a large empire), Ionia (a geographical region), and Demecia (a powerful kingdom). Though not a part of these places, I'd love to see Bilgewater and its capital city, Bilgewater Bay, explored in a show. One of my favorite League of Legends cinematics, Double-Double Cross, takes place in the spooky pirate port town full of merc-sailors and seawitches.
But despite my hopes for a high-fantasy swashbuckling adventure, it seems as if Riot is heavily leaning into the Noxus region, which I'm completely fine with. In recent months, they've collaborated with Orbit Books to publish an Arcane prequel novel called Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf by C.L. Clark, where Ambessa spends over half a year traveling to different regions of Noxus. They've also posted the music video/trailer "Welcome to Noxus."
Animated by Fortiche, the same studio behind Arcane, this cinematic features Mel going on a journey to confront more members of the secret society Black Rose. We also see a slew of other characters, including Darius, Katarina, Elise, LeBlanc, Vladimir and Trundle (who...dies? It's not clear).
Coming back to Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf, that book lays the foundation for characters like Rell and others to join the ranks of this expanding animated universe. We also hear a lot about Ionia and Demecia in the book, as they were areas where massive conflicts took place. It's quite possible we could get a show that explores all three regions, telling a tale of generational trauma, national upheaval, and environmental change. Or it could be a bunch of mini-series. That's also fine. League of Legends anthology, anyone?
To summarize, Riot Games is working on multiple projects set in the League of Legends universe; shows, video game tie-ins, and I'm willing to bet more novels. They'll be set in any of all of three key areas: Noxus, Ionia, and Demecia, which could appear in these upcoming shows in any number of ways.
What ideas are you most excited about? A world-trotting adventure of conquest? A sly, clever tale of espionage? Perhaps something else entirely? Share your thoughts!
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