#Arcane tv series series#

“I don’t think most of Hollywood realizes how massive this is,” Spenley says. It’s simply to feed the audience that already exists with more stories, and that can be “Arcane,” or later this month an immersive theater-inspired multi-week event in Los Angeles via “Arcane: Enter the Undercity,” a partnership with London-based immersive firm Secret Cinema. The goal for now isn’t about the invention or reinvention of any formats, or to imagine what a more approachable version of “League of Legends” looks like. This interactive idea of giving the audience too much control also means they’re not going to make the best choice to be entertained.” “At the end of the day, the common person signs up for an experience because they want to be entertained by someone who is better than them at telling a story. “I think we as creatives have to be careful,” Linke says.

#Arcane tv series series#

“I think the dream goes toward being able to offer our audience experiences that are not just completely passive,” says Linke, who began pitching the series within Riot after having internal success with short-form music videos that introduced backstories for “League” characters.Įxperiments, however, that have attempted to merge games and television, many of which take a choose-your-own-adventure-inspired format, have generally been, well, not very good. It’s also a linear narrative told over nine episodes.

It’s an action sci-fi fantasy story that alludes to big topics such as class divisions and the benefits of the privileged, but zeroes in on family tensions and the untamed, sometimes borderline-creepy behavior of Jinx, a Harley Quinn-like character with a mixture of recklessness and earnestness. “Arcane” explores a small slice, centering on the reckless, chaos-inducing character of Jinx and her sister Vi. It’s requisite, at this point, to cite some “League of Legends” statistics, and Riot reports that more than 180 million people had played within its “League”-branded games throughout October. Entertainment and products that surround it will compliment gameplay.” I think games are ultimately going to be the center of our culture. I think the next big IP is coming from games. I kept tabs where the share of hours was going - TikTok, social media - but the big one was games. “It was pretty clear for us that gaming hours, as a percentage of overall hours, were growing in extraordinary amounts,” Spenley says of her decision to leave her vice president role at Netflix and come to Riot. Ultimately, it’s everyone else that’s trying to look like Riot, to create intellectual property - IP in shareholder-speak - built on environments in which players and viewers alike will watch, interact and live, both in physical and digital realms. The Netflix-distributed show will join the streamer’s stable of video game-focused content, appealing, Riot hopes, to the same audience that has embraced “Castlevania,” another adult-focused, anime-inspired adaptation. It’s not Riot that’s pivoting with its TV show “Arcane,” which was built over six somewhat stressful years. After soul searching, Riot Games has ‘Valorant’ and new idealism. And at the end of last year, it named longtime Netflix executive Shauna Spenley to lead the company’s foray into film and television and to oversee a department that includes a division dedicated to story-driven games that expand the “League of Legends” brand beyond its competitive, hardcore gamer roots.Įntertainment & Arts After ‘bro culture’ crisis, ‘League of Legends’ esports ruler Riot touts new game, new outlookįirst came esport mega-hit ‘League of Legends,’ then an identity crisis. pop charts and staged augmented reality-enhanced concerts. The studio has created virtual bands that have topped the U.S. “League of Legends,” of course, has long been among the most popular esports on the planet, a recognizable franchise embraced even by luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton, and this month, thanks to its launch of “Arcane,” “Fortnite.” If you want a glimpse of the future of interactive-focused storytelling, look at how Riot has handled “League of Legends.” We can add on the great capabilities that other creators can have, but we cannot sacrifice the love, the attention to detail and the historical knowledge and perspective that Rioters have.” That is a fundamental part of the equation. “We concluded that no one is going to care to the same degree as Rioters. Merrill says their deep understanding of the company gave them an advantage: “If you don’t fully appreciate the journey our players have been on with these characters, there are risks it can feel, in all sorts of subtle ways, inauthentic.