Arcane is exactly what League of Legends needs right now

❘ Published: 2021-11-09T16:32:20

League of Legends Arcane Powder Jinx looks up and Vi with hearts in her eyes

Riot Games

Riot Games’ League of Legends-inspired Netflix show, Arcane, has etched itself into the hearts of the LoL community, and thankfully it’s come just at the right time.

I am someone that loves League of Legends. Well, sort of.

Taking my first steps onto Runeterra during the end stages of Season 9, I was immediately enveloped in Riot Games’ stunning universe. I was that girl that read up on all of the lore, fell head over heels for the champions I played, and initially built the foundations of my career reporting on LoL esports.

Sadly, however, I strayed away from the game during the start of Season 11. The champions didn’t hold my attention anymore, balancing felt like an issue and, overall, I wasn’t having fun. Even Worlds seemed to just be repeating itself every year (especially when you’re a G2 fan).

Enter Arcane, Riot Games’ League of Legends-inspired Netflix show. Already shattering expectations just as Ekko shatters time, the series is the much-needed new chapter of a book I had almost slammed shut. Here’s why Arcane is exactly what League of Legends needs right now.

Just as Vi and Jinx’s sisterhood is pulled apart, I felt like my bond with LoL was equally as strained.

A soaring story to melt stone-cold hearts

Whether you know Runeterra like the back of your hand, or are completely new to the franchise, Arcane’s storyline is a rollercoaster ride that you need to be on. A turbulent tale of tragedy, strife, and heroism, it brings the characters we know and love to life in an entirely new way.

As young Powder struggles with her confidence and a teenage Vi grapples with becoming a woman, you can’t help but empathize with their anguish. Above them lies the golden city of Piltover, taunting and teasing their very existence.

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While Arcane may feel like a twisted fairytale, it hits on some of the most poignant and shadowy parts of our real-life existence. As the rich grow ever richer and the poor ever poorer, Powder and Vi’s will to survive is a reminder of just where our society may end up in the future.

But, while the gaseous streets of Zaun don’t exactly look like much of a picnic, they’re still more breathtaking than Riot’s recent cinematic mishaps.

league of legends arcane jinx powder vi stand in Zaun

Zaun might not look like a first-class destination, but we’d rather be there than the Shadow Isles.

Redemption after the Rise (and fall) of the Sentinels

Ah, yes, Rise of the Sentinels, the lore arc that both the LoL community and likely Riot themselves are keen to forget.

Following RotS’ unforgivable lore rewrites and poorly designed narrative experience, it’s understandable that, for many, any hype surrounding Arcane had simply “evaporated” (to borrow the words of the wonderful Andrew Amos).

In short: Riot lost our trust, and they had to pull out all the stops to earn it again.

That’s what they’ve done with Arcane, and it’s an absolute triumph. With hosts of cosmetics and goodies available across League, Valorant, Fortnite, and PUBG, Riot has relit the hype fires and pulled in players from all across the gaming universe.

Arcane had to deliver, and it did. It’s faithful to the lore, it has a cast of lovable heroes and diabolical villains, and, most of all, it’s restored our faith in Riot – even when Worlds couldn’t.

Where Rise of the Sentinels failed, Arcane has truly triumphed.

League of Legends really needed Arcane

The biggest event in the LoL calendar is obviously Worlds, but even that has been eclipsed by the Netflix show. As yet another year rolled by with the same format, LoL fans have anxiously been awaiting something new and innovative.

Enter Arcane.

The title has truly revolutionized how a game can be entertaining on TV. For casual viewers who just want to enjoy the lore universe, Arcane is perfect. For esports fans who truly love the game and all its intricacies, Arcane is perfect. For people that don’t even know what a ‘League of Legends is,’ it’s still perfect.

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It makes you want to jump back onto Runeterra, to pull out your dusty old mouse, grab your squad and take to your respective lanes once more. Sure, if you’re anything like me you’ll go 0/10/0, but it feels so worth it. Why? Because Arcane has made it fun to play League again.

From out of the ashes rises this particularly powerful phoenix.

And that’s what I needed – in fact, it’s probably what a lot of LoL fans needed. Playing the game was beginning to feel like a chore, watching Worlds was becoming vaguely repetitive. Arcane is what LoL needed, and it has hit at just the right time.

As preseason begins and, in turn, the upcoming content drought ensues, Arcane will fill the void that all League players experience around this time. It’s the Christmas gift we never knew we needed (just like Regifted Amumu)

As Riot continue to explore the different paths that Arcane can take in the future, I can’t wait to get to know my favorite characters a little bit better. Whether Riot choose to explore Morgana and Kayle’s rocky history, or even doing a deep dive into why Ziggs really likes blowing things up – I’m on the hype train, and I’m not planning on alighting anytime soon.