After months of build-up, a hype train that looks set to continue apace, Netflix has finally shown off the briefest of glimpses of one of its most celebrated shows.
Arcane, the League of Legends animated show that first blindsided everybody with its sheer quality back in 2021, is coming back for a second season later this year – and that season was previewed in an overview video.
The Arcane team's X account reposted the footage on its own so that you can stick it on repeat to get a real look, although you shouldn't expect a lot of detail.
Piltover’s finest, on the case. #Arcane pic.twitter.com/p4sm9N7VTdJune 6, 2024
It shows a quick look at Vi and Caitlyn, two of our main characters, in their Enforcer uniforms seemingly ready to double down on their position as Piltover's law enforcement – despite the conflict of the previous season.
Not glimpsed is Jinx, the flipside to Vi and now presumably more isolated than ever in the city's underworld, and delving further into the criminal gangs that make it their home.
So, if you're hoping for a nice make-up between Jinx and Vi, you might be being a little optimistic. We'd assume that the tension between the sisters will only ratchet up, as their ties become more strained over time.
Vi will also clearly have her power gloves on a lot of the time, as their powering-up process is how the teaser starts, meaning we're all but guaranteed to get some flashy, well-animated fight scenes.
It'll be fascinating to see whether Arcane can live up to its first season, too – that run of episodes landed the coveted R100% score on Rotten Tomatoes with good reason, thanks to its gorgeous visuals and thoughtful storytelling. The recent glut of videogame adaptations has been terrific, but Arcane predated most of them – and arguably showed what was possible.
Given Amazon's success with Fallout and aims with a new Like a Dragon series, Netflix clearly has its work cut out if it wants to be seen as the best streaming service for gaming fans (even aside from the actual games it offers), but Arcane should certainly help. It will arrive sometime in November of this year, and we'd assume a full trailer will pop up in the next couple of months...
