Arcane Season 2 — Release Window, Cast, And More Info
"Arcane" was one of the biggest TV surprises of 2021. The show is set in the fictional universe of the popular "League of Legends" video game, while not exactly adapting a particular story. The result was a series that put the final nail in the coffin of the so-called video game adaptation curse. "Arcane" featured a vast, lived-in world with rich lore. The characters are complex, with their story arcs throughout the nine episodes being nuanced and thrilling to watch.
Then there's the visuals, the show's raison d'etre. Studio Fortiche delivered the most stunning piece of TV animation in a decade, with a cinematic sense of lighting and cinematography. The action is exquisitely choreographed, the character animation results in nuanced performances, while the world of the show looks striking and real. The story follows sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell) and their story of separation and reunion against the backdrop of an intra-city conflict between the rich Piltover, and the crime-ridden Zaun.
Unsurprisingly, "Arcane" was met with wide acclaim from fans and critics. The show won an Emmy, which sadly felt like the end of an era for Netflix as the streamer downsized its animation output. A second season, which was inevitable given the show's success, was announced almost immediately. And yet, there's been rather little information on the show's return. So here's everything we know of "Arcane" Season 2.
When does Arcane Season 2 premiere?
Riot's parent company, Tencent, first announced a release window for the second season of "Arcane" via its Video V Vision Conference in September 2023, revealing that "Arcane" will come back for Season 2 in Q4 of 2024. In November, the show's official X (formerly Twitter) account posted a 15-second video featuring Jinx crossing a bridge as fire falls from above, with text announcing that Season 2 would arrive one year leter, in November 2024. This makes sense, since Season 1 of "Arcane" was released in November of 2021 across three weeks.
While this may seem like a long wait, it is worth pointing out that the first season of "Arcane" took six years to produce. Most of that time was spent on development to translate the world of "League of Legends" to television, and for studio Fortiche to develop the unique visual style of the show. Granted, waiting three years between Seasons 1 and 2 is no small thing, but given the level of visual quality and how big the production for the first season was, the wait will be worth it.
Who will return in Arcane Season 2?
The first season of "Arcane" ended with Jinx firing a rocket launcher toward the Piltover council just as it was approving a proposal to grant Zaun its independence. We don't yet know whether Season 2 will continue this story or go somewhere else in the vast world of Runeterra, as Riot's "League of Legends" universe often jumps around to different locations.
That being said, it is very likely that "Arcane" will continue with the same arc, given how much of a cliffhanger it ended its first season on. This would mean that stars Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell will most likely return to voice Vi and Jinx, while Katie Leung voices Caitlyn Kiramman. As for the rest of the characters, like Kevin Alejandro's Jayce, their fate is unknown due to the rocket that crashed his council meeting.
There is a scene in the last episode that had fans speculating that the character of Warwick (part werewolf, part machine) will join "Arcane" Season 2. Regardless, the events of Season 1 left Zaun without a leader, and with the bombing of the Piltover Council, war is all but guaranteed.