Arcane is one of the most well received and loved animated series in recent years, and possibly ever made, but reaching these heights comes at a cost. A big one.
Season 2 of Arcane is scheduled to premiere on Nov. 9, 2024 concluding later in the month, and now ahead of the release more details about the production have been shared, including its mammoth budget.
The two Arcane seasons cost a combined $250 million according to Variety, which would make it the most expensive animated show ever made. Still, Riot Games has no issues spending the cash, and the League of Legends maker believes it was well worth the cost.
“We’re more than comfortable with the spend it took to deliver a show that was worthy of our players’ time,” Riot Games chief product officer Marc Merrill said.
Merrill also explained how the production of the animated series has worked, and that their goal was never to operate like a traditional animation studio would be run. It’s for this reason that Season 2 of Arcane has taken so long; as Riot learned, getting things just how they want them wouldn’t be possible if the show was rushed.
With 18 episodes total for the series reportedly costing Riot Games around $250 million, this show is by far the most expensive animated series on streaming, as Variety explains. Fortunately, game developer has no shortage of cash thanks to its absolutely massive online game League of Legends, which Arcane is based on.
League of Legends has over 180 million active players, and while the game is free-to-play, the company makes money thanks to its in-game store, which provides fans the opportunity to purchase new characters and cosmetic upgrades for their current collection without needing to grind for in-game currency.
The first season of Arcane was released in 2021 and instantly became a hit. The show released its nine episodes in three parts over multiple weeks starting Nov. 6, and now the series is taking the same approach for Season 2.
For those planning to stay caught up with Arcane Season 2 as it airs, the first episodes will be released on Nov. 9, 2024. Following this, three more will arrive on Nov. 16, 2024, and finally the last episodes will land on Nov. 23. That means three weeks of action from the Arcane universe, but enjoy it while you can.
Arcane Season 2 is set to be the last in the series, which means its release will be bittersweet. The good news is that even though Arcane might be set to end, there will be more from the League of Legends universe, it just won’t be a part of this same story. Some might see this as a bad thing; however, it gives creatives opportunities to explore other areas of the gigantic Runterra world, which is completely fine by us.
We expect that whatever show comes after Arcane will also boast a hefty price tag, and hopefully that means it will maintain the same incredible quality.
Published: Nov 6, 2024 06:46 pm