Ask any longtime gamer, and they‘ll tell tales of lackluster video game movies past – the flimsy screenplays, the phoned-in performances, the utter failure to capture what fans loved about the games themselves.
So when Riot Games announced plans in 2019 to launch Arcane, a Netflix-produced TV series based on their hit game League of Legends, fans had their hopes but tempered their expectations.
Surely this would go the route of every other gaming adaptation before it – discreetly swept under the red carpet of some straight-to-DVD bargain bin.
Except here we are in 2022, witnessing the wild, unbelievable, history-making success of Arcane taking the entertainment world by storm and earning the cultural clout no one expected.
So how exactly did this video game adaptation not only break the mold but smash it beyond recognition en route to its historic, glass ceiling-shattering Emmy victory? As pop culture analysts, we dove into the stats behind the hype to find out.
The Phenomenon of League of Legends
Since bursting onto the gaming scene in 2009, League of Legends (LoL) seemed an unlikely candidate for mainstream success. A complicated multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game requiring steep mastery of its rules and characters, LoL seemed destined for niche fandom.
Except its fandom kept steadily growing year by year as gamers became invested not just in matches but the ever-expanding world building and lore behind the battles taking place on Summoner‘s Rift.
| Year | # of LoL Players | LoL Esports Tournament Viewership |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 15M | 1.6M |
| 2016 | 100M | 43M |
| 2021 | 180M | 74M |
As the above table illustrates, League of Legends was clearly no passing fad but rather a seminal, pillar of gaming culture with disciples multiplying exponentially with each year.
Fans were now deeply invested in the tapestry of factions like Piltover and Zaun along with champions like Jinx and Vi who inhabited them.
They were hungry – starved, really – for more storytelling to further explore the rich Runeterra universe.
Enter the ambitious visionaries at Riot Games, who knew this world held even greater mainstream potential if brought to life visually with the care and creative freedom TV could uniquely provide.
The 6-Year Labor of Love That Birthed Arcane
In 2015, Riot developers Alex Yee and Christian Linke had an epiphany – League of Legends was ripe for adaptation into an animated TV series.
Rather than license out their IP, Riot wanted to keep creative control in-house. But they knew they‘d need world-class animation partners to realize their bold vision.
After failed pitches to multiple major studios, they found their magic match in French animation studio Fortiche Productions.
Run by young animators equally passionate about bringing Riot‘s universe to life, Fortiche signed on in 2016 to help co-create Arcane with Riot‘s creative team.
The creative team behind Arcane‘s success
And so began the 6-year odyssey of passion and production pushing the boundaries of what was possible in episodic animation. New software and workflows were invented just to support the goal of rendering every frame of Arcane with the quality of a summer blockbuster film rather than TV production.
The result in 2021 was a stylish, visually stunning love letter to the League universe populated by beloved champions old and new while expanding its emotional horizons into powerful themes of family, power, and social inequity.
The Runaway Success Taking Netflix By Storm
On November 6, 2021, the first 3 episodes of Arcane debuted on Netflix…and promptly exploded.
Within days of its release, Arcane claimed the coveted #1 spot across all Netflix content globally. Not just among animated fare but ALL shows and movies streamed on the platform that week.
Glowing reviews poured in from fans and critics alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, Season 1 holds an impeccable 100% Fresh rating.
Acclaimed critic Brian Lowery summed up the critical consensus:
"Thoughtfully adapted, Arcane succeeds through finely drawn characters and mature storytelling. The result is a triumphant demonstration of how games can leap to TV and film."
But the hardcore test would be the fans – the League players themselves who‘ve obsessed over every detail of Runeterra lore for over a decade.
Would this TV version live up to their strict canons for what made the game and world so beloved?
As user Pandavenger posted on Reddit:
"As an 8 year League player…Riot‘s done Runeterra justice here and then some. I have never been so continually captivated start to finish by any show before."
The verdict across LoL‘s legions of loyal fans was nearly universal praise.
By meticulously committing the look, feel, and lore of Runeterra to screen while expanding character depth through powerful storylines never possible in-game, Arcane was lightning in a bottle – a masterful adaptation done right.
And the numbers cemented the series as far more than niche gamer fare:
| Metric | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Hours viewed in first month | Over 180 million |
| Countries charting #1 | 52 |
| Critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes | 100% |
Clearly this was no mere "video game adaptation." Arcane tapped into that rarefied stratosphere of brilliant storytelling wrapped in visual splendor.
And the film industry took notice in a major way come awards season 2022.
Crashing the Emmys: How Arcane Made History
When nominations for the 2022 Emmy awards dropped, Arcane earned a staggering 9 nominations including Outstanding Animated Program.
Squaring off against long-running favorites like The Simpsons and Bob‘s Burgers, an Arcane win seemed unlikely for a freshman video game adaptation, no matter the acclaim.
Except on September 12, 2022 inside LA‘s Microsoft Theater, the unthinkable happened.
"And the Emmy goes to…Arcane: League of Legends".
In a stunning move, Arcane made history as the first streaming animated show to EVER win the Emmy‘s top animation prize.
Showrunner Christian Linke summed the shock and glory of the moment perfectly:
“Uhh, what? We’re very surprised. Thank you! Arcane was made by a bunch of people that really love League of Legends and are just incredibly passionate about storytelling, animations and filmmaking."
In hearing Linke‘s words, one realizes no gamer should be surprised. Because Arcane conquered the same way League itself rose from niche to mainstream phenomenon over a decade ago.
Not through gimmicks or cheap appeals to non-gaming crowds, but by honorably committing to fully realize the characters and worlds gamers loved with artistic vision free of creative handcuffs.
The Legacy: Why Arcane‘s Emmy Marks a Turning Point
It‘s no exaggeration to say Arcane‘s smash success, capped by Emmy gold, marks a before-and-after for video game IP adaptations done right.
Daryl McCormack of The Gamer perfectly encapsulates why:
By bringing Arcane to the Emmys party, there’s suddenly a realization in the wider industry that – wait a minute – perhaps video game adaptations CAN work if granted the freedom, talent and resources to do so!
Like Peter Jackson‘s Lord of the Rings films igniting mainstream fervor for high fantasy literature, Arcane pierces public misconceptions of what resonant stories might come from gaming source material.
Instead of just ticking fan service boxes, Arcane engages hearts and minds through lovingly built worlds inhabited by psychologically complex characters.
The breakdown of societal barriers between utopian cities like Piltover and exploited undercities like Zaun reflects external real-world divides. Themes around family trauma and corrupting influences of power resonate universally.
Metrics may quantify Arcane‘s success but its cultural contribution is harder to gauge.
Creators and studios had their interest piqued by proof that gaming IP can yield compelling cinematic stories. By demolishing preconceptions that video game worlds lack narrative depth, Arcane unlocked vast creative possibility.
It garnered such mainstream credibility that Riot Games announced not just a 2nd Arcane season coming but an entire gaming film and TV universe spanning multiple Riot properties now in development.
A decade ago, such news may have been shrugged off as niche gaming media.
But now in 2022, post-Arcane‘s triumph? This cinematic universe carries both artistic excitement and commercial promise awaiting what other gems await excavation from the worlds that gamers love.
In the end, there is no singular factor that explains the lightning-in-a-bottle, history-making, critics silencing success that was Arcane Season 1.
Rather it was a symphonic convergence of visionary writing, visual artistry, insightful commentary, and most of all respect – respect for the gaming source material given room to grow into a masterpiece revealing the rich reservoirs beneath.
While not easily replicated, let Arcane stand as the new gold standard – world builders and gamers alike galvanized by possibility of what happens when gifted creators commit to realize gaming‘s cinematic potential unrestrained.
For an Emmy statue now stands where none had ventured before. And inscribed upon its base is a single word resounding boldly to all future adapters…
Imagine.
