Arcane creators say it'll be a long time before the next League of Legends adaptation lands on Netflix: 'We're not in production on those yet'

Vi fighting Warwick in Arcane season 2 episode 5
"Settle. Down. Internet!" (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

  • Arcane's showrunners have suggested it'll be a long time before their next project is released
  • Multiple League of Legends (LoL) movies and TV shows are in development, but none are in full production
  • The award-winning Netflix animated show's creators will only make something they're "really passionate about"

Arcane's creators have implied it'll be a long time before their next League of Legends (LoL) movie or TV adaptation is released into the wild.

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar before Arcane season 2 made its initial Netflix debut on November 9, Christian Linke and Alex Yee warned fans not to expect another LoL project, animated or live-action, in the near future. Indeed, while multiple projects were in development, the pair were keen to stress that "we're not in production on any of those".

The disappointing update comes five months after it was announced that Arcane's second season would also be its last. Speaking on a pre-recorded video posted on Arcane's various social media accounts, though, Linke tempered fans' sadness – mine included – by confirming more LoL adaptations were in the works. Even better, one of the best Netflix shows' co-creators said he hoped to have more news to share before the end of 2024.

With Arcane season 2's final three episodes set to arrive tomorrow (November 23), viewers may be hoping for a reveal of some sort – either as a post-credits scene or a new project announcement on social media – before 2024 is over. The latter is certainly possible but, considering what Linke and Yee told me when I asked for a status update on what's coming next, I wouldn't bank on the former.

"That's the fun part for us right now," Linke replied when I asked which part of LoL champions and/or regions of Runeterra we'd see in Arcane's follow-up. "Really, we're just focusing on what's next.

"Look, we've played the game [League of Legends] forever and there are a lot of characters we're passionate about," Linke continued. "The way we're exploring this is: 'what are we really passionate about?' and 'what do we have that'll be a great story that our audience will also be passionate about?'. We're not in production on any of those yet. We're really just developing stories and scripts right now, so I can't say anything yet, unfortunately. I wish I could. I wish there was this maturity on the internet where everyone goes 'it's okay if it doesn't work out'. Anything we say to you [Tom] is considered to be a hard commitment that'll ends our lives if it doesn't happen!"

"I think that if we were to say, at any point in Arcane's development, that we definitely knew what the end result of this show would be, we would've lied many times," Yee added. "So yeah, I guess it's good that we did the right thing [not say anything] and continue in that manner as we develop these things.

"A lot of the stories that'll excite [LoL] players and Arcane fans are the same ones that excite us. So, the big message from us is, rest assured, we still have the hunger to tell these stories."

I wish there was this maturity on the internet where everyone goes 'it's okay if it doesn't work out'

Christian Linke, Arcane co-creator

Considering it took six years to make Arcane's first season and then over three years to make its sequel, it sounds like we're all in for a long wait for another LoL adaptation to launch on Netflix, aka the world's best streaming service. As I said, we won't have another nine-episode installment of Arcane to tide us over in the interim, either, even though there were rumors that Arcane was initially supposed to last for five seasons. Despite reports to the contrary, Linke and Yee told me it was "never the plan" for Arcane to last more than two seasons. In short: while we wait for an official unveiling on its sequel show, you and I will just have to watch Arcane re-runs for many months and years to come.

Before you watch its third and final act, remind yourself what happened in the previous three chapters by reading my Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained piece. Alternatively, check out Arcane season 2's final trailer to see what it teases ahead of act 3's release. Then, once you've streamed it, get answers to your biggest finale questions by reading my Arcane season 2 act 3 ending explainer.

You might also like

Senior Entertainment Reporter

As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.