The success of Arcane season one, which earned critical acclaim and even Emmy nominations, solidified that these kinds of adaptations could work. However, the show shocked fans once again when Netflix announced in June 2024 that the second season would be its last.
This revelation came alongside the release of the first season-two trailer, months before the new episodes were scheduled to stream. Critics and audiences had fallen in love with the show, particularly the animation, which was beautifully crafted by Paris-based studio Fortiche, making the news even more surprising.
Netflix cancelling the show prematurely?
This, however, isn’t simply a case of Netflix cancelling a show prematurely. It turns out that the plan from the beginning was always to conclude Arcane after two seasons.
In an interview with Variety, co-creator Christian Linke explained that Arcane was intended to be “the beginning of our larger storytelling journey and partnership with the wonderful animation studio that is Fortiche.”
Arcane wraps up with second season
He added, “From the very beginning, since we started working on this project, we had a very specific ending in mind, which means the story of Arcane wraps up with this second season. But Arcane is just the first of many stories that we want to tell in Runeterra.”
At a time when many shows are cancelled unexpectedly or forced to end prematurely, it’s refreshing to hear that the conclusion of Arcane was always planned, and that the show’s ending aligns with the creators’ original vision.
Confusion surrounding planned duration of Arcane
In a conversation with CinemaBlend, Linke elaborated further on the decision, saying, “We always had a specific story in mind. Look, you could have stretched it, I’m sure. But for us, it was always just like we started with this in mind. I think there’s also a personal angle to it as creatives. We’ve all seen the TV shows, where clearly the writers are running out of juice.”
The confusion surrounding the show’s planned duration seems to stem from an offhand comment made by former Riot Games CEO Nicolo Laurent. He recalled, “We had the pilot or a few episodes, but we still hadn’t had the green light for a full season.
