When Netflix announced that season 2 of the critically acclaimed animated series Arcane would also be the last, fans were shocked. Based on the long-running competitive PC game League of Legends, Arcane mined the depths of the franchise’s lore to great effect, building a fantasy world as rich and expansive as any we’ve ever seen on TV. But even though the streaming series has ended, the story is far from over, as a new cinematic reveals.
Riot Games partnered with animation studio Fortiche (Arcane) once again on a cinematic trailer for the latest in-game League of Legends season. Riot has been releasing splashy cinematics to promote its game for years, but this one is notable for tying in directly to the story of Arcane, with a fresh look at Mel’s arrival in Noxus following the show’s finale.
The trailer opens with Mel stepping foot onto the shores of her homeland, Noxus, after the battle with her mother that closed out Arcane. We see multiple other League of Legends champions in the trailer, including Katarina, Elise, Darius, and Trundle.
As the cinematic ends, we see two characters discussing the events of Arcane. Vladimir walks down a hallway talking about “the opportunity that’s washed up on our shores.” The Black Rose mage LeBlanc then comes into view, warning that “Piltover was a lesson,” seemingly referring to the war that nearly decimated the region in which Arcane was set. This also all but confirms that LeBlanc was the shapeshifter toying with Mel in Arcane season 2.
While Arcane is over, Netflix isn’t done with the world of Runeterra yet. Riot Games has already made it clear that more projects are in the works that will focus on different regions of the world, including one set in Noxus, the region portrayed in this trailer.
That said, the studio has also clarified that this cinematic is not meant to set up a new show.
“Regarding the intent of the cinematic,” Riot Games senior VP Andrei van Roon expounded on Reddit this week, “our goal was to set up some themes for Noxus for the season and a plot line that’ll be continued this year in game/around game materials (not a tv show to be clear).”
He didn’t specifically say that this video has no connection to future shows, but that was not the intent of releasing the cinematic. At this point, Arcane fans will take what they can get.
TV shows aside, Riot Games also announced that Mel Medarda is finally joining the League of Legends roster this season. If you play the game, you will have the chance to unlock her by completing seasonal missions. You can also learn more about Mel and her mother in the upcoming novel Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf.
