Historically, TV and movie adaptations of video games struggle to capture the magic of even the most iconic IPs, so it was a little surprising when one video game retelling turned out to be one of 2021’s most beloved shows. Late last year, Riot Games, Fortiche, and Netflix releasedArcane,an animated series based on a handful of the most iconic characters inLeague of Legends, Riot’s highly successful MOBA.League of Legendsplayers and critics alike gaveArcanehigh marks, so it’s no surprise that Riot and Fortiche have announced plans for a second season ofArcane,but this duo might have more in store forLeaguefans.
While fans ofArcanewill have to wait a long time for the second season, Riot and Fortiche still have some major news to share.Riot recently invested in Fortiche, and although it isn’t buying the animation studio wholesale, Riot says it has bought a significant stake in the studio. These two groups have worked together for a long time now, but Riot’s investment is a serious gesture of commitment to producing animatedLeague of Legendscontent. As successful asArcaneis, this purchase may be a sign that it’ll only be the first in an interconnected universe of shows that’s to come.
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Riot and Fortiche’s Mutual Growth
Whilethe overwhelming success ofArcanehas made Fortiche a household name, it actually has a long and lucrative history of working with Riot Games onLeague of Legendscontent. Long before producing a TV show starringLeague of Legends' Jinx, Fortiche animated theGet Jinxedmusic video that accompanied her launch in the game. Fortiche is also responsible for animating some music videos for theLeague of Legendscompetitive circuit. Riot’s purchase of a stake in Fortiche therefore seems like an inevitability, more than a surprise.
Nevertheless, Riot committing more money to Fortiche suggests that the two companies intend to do a lot more growing alongside one another. Odds are good that Riot want to make many moreLeague of Legendsprojects with the help of Fortiche. If Riot starts providing more financial backing for Fortiche, allowing the animation studio to expand, then it could develop several otherLeague of Legendsshows alongsideArcane.League of Legendsis full of characterswho have no relationship with Piltover or Zaun, but shows about them could still exist in a shared cinematic universe that occasionally overlaps withArcane,eventually culminating in rich, exciting crossovers in the style of theMarvel Cinematic Universe.
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League of Legends Shows Have a Future
There’s no shortage ofLeague of Legendsstories that Fortiche and Riot could convert into shows just as compelling asArcane.Whether it’s the war between Noxus and Ionia or the endlessly encroaching threat of the Shadow Isles,all corners of Runeterra have storiesthat Fortiche could expand into strong shows likeArcane,fleshing out established lore while adding new details that helpLeague of Legendscharacters grow. There’s also plenty of existential threats in theLeague of Legendsuniverse that could bring these characters together down the line, should Riot decide to replicate the experience of playing the game more closely.
WhileLoLfans will likely have to wait and speculate about Riot and Fortiche’s potential projects for quite some time, it’s frankly just good to see thatRiot is committed toArcane.Any video game adaptation is a risk, butArcanewas such a hit that it simply begged to be expanded upon. Riot making an equity investment in Fortiche suggests that it’s doubling down, rather than treading carefully aroundArcaneor any similar projects.League of Legendsclearly has the potential to spawn all kinds of compelling media, and Riot’s Fortiche investment suggests that it’s ready to plumb the depths of that potential.
