Netflix’s 18-Episode Series Redefined Video Game Adaptations
Netflix’s animated series *Arcane*, based on *League of Legends*, helped reshape expectations for video game adaptations by combining high-end animation with emotionally complex storytelling. Its success with both game fans and newcomers showed that animation can deliver a drama with the depth and broad appeal of live-action television.
The series follows estranged sisters Vi and Jinx amid conflict between the wealthy city of Piltover and the underground community of Zaun. Across two seasons and 18 episodes, it earned 41 awards, with viewers praising its production, characters and action. The article also notes that the first season took six years to make.
In short
- *Arcane* raised expectations for video game adaptations.
- Its two seasons span 18 episodes and won 41 awards.
- The first season took six years to produce.
Explained simply
Arcane is an animated drama set in the world of League of Legends, a popular video game. It centres on sisters Vi and Jinx, whose lives unfold amid tensions between Piltover, a wealthy city, and Zaun, its poorer underground community.
Video game adaptations have often struggled to appeal to people who do not already know the games. Arcane’s detailed animation and character-led story helped demonstrate how an adaptation could work as a drama in its own right, reaching both fans and new viewers.