Mark Merrill, co-founder of Riot Games, announced that Season 3 of Arcane has been canceled as the team looks to explore different universes, countering rumors that they plan to leave the entertainment industry.
Despite Arcane being one of the most expensive animated series ever made, it has also seen tremendous success. Both Seasons 1 and 2 topped the Netflix charts upon their release, captivating long-time fans and attracting new viewers who were drawn to the League of Legends universe.
While the news of Arcane not continuing with a Season 3 disappointed many, Mark Merrill offered clarification in response to a fan’s concerns:
“Cuz there are lots of other stories to tell,” was what he had to say. It’s hard to argue with that, seeing as the world behind League of Legends is massive. He also claimed that he’d be willing to invest more into League of Legends lore within the game itself if the team is “able to hit the right bar.”
Given that League of Legends lags behind Arcane in terms of narrative development, a deeper dive into the game’s lore would certainly be welcomed by its community. However, in another response, Merrill hinted at reasons for optimism regarding a new television series in the works.
Also in another source, Mark went on to say, “Our ambitions in entertainment haven’t changed. We were never intending to operate like a traditional studio with traditional timelines. What did change as we learned more was our expectations of ourselves: We realized that getting it right takes a lot more time than we’d originally expected, and so we recalibrated our development, output goals, and teams with that in mind.”
He also urged fans to disregard “naysayers” about the production costs of Arcane, stressing that such concerns wouldn’t deter Riot from pursuing more series, thus keeping the door open for a new show set in the League of Legends universe. It may take some time before it becomes a reality.
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