Summary
- Arcane's success didn't increase League of Legends revenue as expected.
- Riot Games invested $250 million in Arcane, but it didn't attract new players.
- League of Legends didn't see much benefit from the Arcane project, despite its popularity.
Arcane was a huge success, but one report suggests the good reception hasn't translated into enough revenue for League of Legends. One of the most popular competitive games, League of Legends has a large active player base. The MOBA also has a large universe with other releases besides the main game.
One of these is Arcane, a Netflix production with two seasons: the first, released in 2021, and the second, which premiered this year. Strongly inspired by the game's universe, it shows the underworld Zaun and the elite of Piltover and the clashes between the two realities. With a plot centered on Jinx, Vi, and Caitlyn, in addition to the main trio, other League of Legends champions appeared in Arcane, attracting even more attention. But despite all the hype surrounding the production, League of Legends doesn't seem to have benefited as much from the project.
All Caitlyn Skins In League Of Legends, Ranked
With Caitlyn's popularity in League of Legends skyrocketing after the success of Netflix's Arcane, these are all her in-game skins, ranked.
A report from Bloomberg reveals that the two Arcane seasons cost Riot Games $250 million, but the investment didn't attract new players to League of Legends. The text says that Netflix paid Riot $3 million for each episode aired, while Tencent Holdings Ltd, Tencent's owner, paid a further $3 million for the rights to show it in China. Added together, they amount to less than half the total cost. According to Bloomberg, the first Arcane season didn't give League designers enough time to produce new content, such as items or characters. People created new accounts but left the game. Despite this, a Riot spokesperson said that “while the show itself wasn't profitable, it added to the business in other ways.”
Arcane Was a Hit, But Not for League of Legends
If the first season lacked tie-in content, the development team had more time to prepare for Arcane Season 2. As a result, League received updates such as new skins, one of which was Arcane Fractured Jinx, the controversial $250 cosmetic for Vi's younger sister. ARAM, the MOBA's popular mode, got a themed update, and Viktor got a visual rework based on his appearance in the Netflix show. The game also confirmed the arrival of two new champions, Ambessa and Mel. While the matriarch of the Medarda family arrived on November 6, Mel's debut is expected in February 2025.
After the end of Jinx, Vi, and Caitlyn's journey, Arcane is preparing for what's coming next. According to one of the showrunners, Noxus, Ionia, and Demacia will be the following regions to be adapted. Meanwhile, the most recent League of Legends update is 14.24, which dropped on December 10 with buffs and nerfs for several champions and the Arcane content.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 90%
- Released
- October 27, 2009
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- Riot Games
- Publisher(s)
- Riot Games
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- League of Legends
WHERE TO PLAY
League of Legends is one of the best MOBAs in the world, allowing players to duke it out against each other or bots in a variety of game modes. There are tons of champions to choose from in LoL, with favorites like Yasuo, Graves, Nasus, Poppy, and more, with new champions like Vex and Viego recently joining the crew.
- Platform(s)
- PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- MOBA
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
