The story
Above, the wealthy, gleaming city of Piltover; below, its oppressed undercity, Zaun. Sisters Vi and Powder grow up on the wrong side of that divide, and as tensions between the two cities escalate – fuelled by volatile new arcane technology – they are pulled towards opposite sides of the conflict. Set in the world of Riot Games' League of Legends, the story has won over newcomers and longtime players alike.
Why it matters
Arcane, a co-production between French studio Fortiche and Riot Games, is ranked by many critics among the finest adaptations of a video game. It was the first game adaptation to collect both Annies and Primetime Emmys, and the first Netflix series to win the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program.
Born online
A French–American co-production: made by French animation studio Fortiche under the supervision of Riot Games and distributed by Netflix. The first season was released simultaneously on Netflix and China's Tencent Video, and Riot streamed the first episode on Twitch for the global premiere.
Notable facts
- Riot Games CEO Nicolo Laurent said the first season took six years to develop. (source)
- It swept the Annie Awards with nine wins. (source)
- Some creators were allowed to co-stream the opening episodes on Twitch at launch, a first for a Netflix series. (source)
- The combined budget for both seasons was reported as $250 million, a figure a Riot co-founder said included marketing. (source)