Fans were ready for more of Netflix’s Arcane the moment the credits rolled on the first season’s finale.
The animated series is based on Riot Games’ League of Legends, and earned a cult following thanks to its artful world-building, as well as its cast of engaging characters. The show’s first season left viewers on the edge of their seats for what comes next, and it seems more is coming soon.
A second season was announced as soon as the first season wrapped, so fans know more is on the way, but details around Arcane season 2 are still far too scarce for my taste.
Arcane season 2 release window
The first season of Arcane reportedly took a whopping six years to make, so fans were prepared to buckle in for a lengthy wait ahead of season 2. That’s exactly what we got, but thankfully it won’t take another six years for Vi, Cait, and Jinx to return to our screens. Instead, audiences will see the gorgeous animated series return in November of 2024.
Gradual announcements from Arcane‘s official Twitter account confirmed when season 2 entered production in mid-2023, and a few months later confirmed our release month. That leaves fans with only a few months left to wait, which really feels like nothing after the long two years we’ve waited already. Still, the holiday season of 2024 can’t come soon enough.
Which characters will return?
Season 1 left off on a major cliffhanger, with numerous characters’ lives hanging in the balance.
In the final moments of season 1, Jinx embraced her most violent tendencies and set her sights on the elite of Piltover. The devastating weapon she fired at Piltover’s council chamber is all but guaranteed to claim at least a few lives — but even if it doesn’t, the deal the council had just moments before approved is all but certainly a bust. Why would they grant Zaun its independence after suffering an attack from the Undercity?
Characters like Vi, Caitlyn, Jinx, and Ekko will almost certainly return for season 2, but characters like Jayce, Viktor, and Mel may not be so fortunate. They were all in the crosshairs when Jinx fired her weapon and, despite some very impressive abilities, they may not have what it takes to survive the attack. Viktor, at least, appears to be at the start of a complex and intriguing character journey, and so will likely return, but the council members may not be so lucky.
There’s also the question of if season 2 will follow a different cast of characters. League of Legends is absolutely stacked with popular characters, and fans of the video game would love to see more of their favorites adapted for the small screen. It seems unlikely that Arcane will completely shift gears after providing fans with just enough background to completely fall for Vi, Jinx, and the others, but new characters are all but certain to crop up in season 2.
Fans should expect Vi, Cait, Jinx, Ekko, Heimerdinger, and Viktor to return in season 2. Other characters like Jayce, Mel, Sevika, and Ambessa Medarda are also likely to return, but are less assured. All of these characters had major roots laid in season 1, however, so it seems probable that they’ll at least get a mention in season 2.
In the most shocking development thus far, it also seems that Silco will be making a return for season 2. Despite the fact that he was killed at the end of season 1, the character’s voice actor — Jason Spisak — confirmed back in early August that he’s recorded lines for season 2. Anything is possible, of course, but its unlikely Silco is set to return from the dead. Instead, it seems more likely that he’ll join a growing list of Jinx’s victims as they live rent free in her head and offer advice, criticism, and general mania for the broken girl to sift through.
What do we know about the plot?
Little is known about season 2’s storyline, but fans have been speculating about its potential direction since season 1 first aired. The ending of Arcane‘s premier season indicates that the story will continue where it left off, however, thanks to the cliffhanger ending and a set of voiceovers from members of the main cast included in the teaser for season 2.
The voiceovers indicate that season 2 will see, at least in part, Cait initiate the hunt for Jinx in the wake of her attack on the council chamber. This leaves Vi to choose between Cait and her little sister, as Cait spells out, “If I go after your sister alone, one of us comes back in a box.”
Will there be a season 3 of Arcane?
An announcement in the summer of 2024 revealed that the incoming second season of Arcane will also be its last. It’s a hard pill to swallow for fans of Vi, Cait, Jinx, and the rest, but it’s also likely good news. Television shows have a tendency to leech every possible ounce of revenue out of an IP before finally letting it die, and far too often that leads to lackluster later seasons that color the quality that came before.
We won’t have that issue with Arcane. It knows exactly what story it’s telling, and that story is almost over. Season 2 looks poised to ramp the tension up to an 11, and — so long as things polish off with a satisfying conclusion — leave audiences content when the final credits roll.
