Arcane season 2: Netflix release date prediction, trailers, confirmed cast, plot synopsis, and more news and rumors
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Arcane season 2: key information
- Official launch window revealed
- Will be the hit show's final season
- Trailers released in June and September
- Various footage teases arrival of new League of Legend (LoL) champions
- Eight key cast members returning
- Story will pick up straight after season 1 finale
- Other plot threads teased by co-creators
- Soundtrack is "something very special"
- First song, 'Paint The Town Blue', now available to listen to
- New shows based on Riot's LoL franchise are in early development
The lengthy wait for Arcane season 2 is almost over. Nearly three years after the wildly successful Netflix series' debut, its second and final chapter will be with us in (at the time of this article's latest update) two months' time. You've got time to not only re-watch Arcane's award-winning and critically-acclaimed first season, but also to catch up on everything we know about its successor.
Below, without the aid of Hextech, we've rounded up every piece of official news, plus the odd rumor or five, on Arcane's sophomore season. As you work your way through this guide, you'll learn more about its cast list and possible plot, be able to stream its various trailers, and get our thoughts on when it'll actually be released.
Full spoilers follow for one of the best Netflix shows' first season. Potential season 2 spoilers are also discussed, so proceed at your own risk, cupcake.
Arcane season 2 release date prediction
It doesn't have an official launch date yet but, in late 2023, Arcane season 2's release window was revealed. It'll arrive in November 2024 and we wouldn't be shocked if it does so around season 1's three-year anniversary. Arcane season 1 was released on September 6, 2021, so we're expecting its long-awaited follow-up to debut around that date, so either Thursday, November 7 or Friday, November 8.
It's unclear if Arcane season 2 will release in three parts or if all of its episodes will drop on launch day. Hopefully, we'll learn more during Netflix Geeked Week 2024's live event on Thursday, September 19, which Arcane season 2 is confirmed to be a big part of.
Arcane season 2 trailer
Arcane season 2's official trailer received its worldwide premiere on Thursday, September 6 – and, while the series' epic round of new footage teased all-out war between Piltover and Zaun, unfortunately it didn't answer our prayers for a confirmed Arcane 2 release date.
Missed season 2's official trailer in mid-June, which all but confirmed that the popular Netflix show will go out with a bang? You can watch it below, too:
There's plenty more footage to pore over before Arcane's second installment launches. Another new look ahead the show's return, which also landed in June, teased new heroes, another possible time skip, and Vi's new costume. That arrived five months after a tentative first look at season 2 that teased a fan-favorite League of Legend villain's debut in hit Netflix show.
Two other clips have also been released over the last few months: one showing Heimerdinger and Ekko summon their inner Batman for an amusing stealth-based mission, while a suspense-filled, Jinx-starring season 2 clip suggested she'll get her ass handed to her at some point next season.
Arcane season 2 cast: confirmed and rumored
Major spoilers follow for Arcane's first season.
Here's the confirmed cast for Arcane season 2 so far:
Hailee Steinfeld as Vi
Ella Purnell as Jinx
Katie Leung as Caitlyn
Reed Shannon as Ekko
Amirah Vann as Sevika
Mick Wingert as Heimerdinger
Ellen Thomas as Ambessa
Brett Tucker as Singed
Determining who else will return from season 1 depends on who – if anyone – survived the Piltover council chamber attack. In the season 1 finale, Jinx fired a crystal rocket, which evoked her Super Mega Death Rocket ultra ability in League of Legends (LoL), the videogame franchise that Arcane is based on, at Piltover’s council chamber. Those present when the rocket exploded included Jayce, Mel, Viktor, Cassandra, Hoskel, Bolbok, Shoola, and Salo.
Season 2's trailers seem to suggest none of them survive, so we might not see/hear from these characters again. That said, the footage in both teasers could be a misdirect in order to preserve some big story twists, so maybe one or two of them lived to fight another day.
Regardless of who else returns, there'll be plenty of new faces introduced in Arcane season 2. We've already know three individuals, aka the unnamed trio of Piltover Enforcers stood alongside Caitlyn and Vi in this section's main image, will make their debuts, while Smeech, a Yordle chem-baron who leads a gang known as the Scrap Hackers, is also set to feature.
One thing is for sure, though: we'll see new LoL champions this season. One big-name player who, likely due to spoilers, hasn't been officially announced as part of the season 2 roster, is definitely going to show up. Indeed, a gorgeous Arcane season 2 poster hinted at this fan-favorite character's return, but don't expect them to be a hero this time around. Speaking as part of a brief fan Q&A on X/Twitter, co-creator Christian Linke confirmed we'll see other champions soon, too.
Arcane season 2 plot synopsis and rumors
Full spoilers follow for Arcane season 1.
Here's Arcane season 2' official albeit incredibly brief story synopsis: "In this final chapter, Jinx’s attack on the Council sets the stage for a dire escalation of the conflict between Piltover and Zaun."
Not much to go on, but it sounds like the show's next installment will be even more of an emotional gut-punch than its forebear. Speaking to TechRadar in early April, Ella Purnell – who voices Jinx – revealed that she "cried" during an ADR (automated dialog replacement) session for this season's finale. Have your tissues at the ready, everyone.
As mentioned in our cast section, the primary plot point that Arcane season 2 needs to tackle is the fallout from the Piltover council chamber attack. In our view, we'd be surprised if Cassandra (Caitlyn's mom), Jayce, and Mel (Jayce's partner and Ambessa's daughter) – to name the most important individuals – have made it out alive.
Sure, they might have, but season 2's trailers hint that they've perished. On Reddit, fans are certainly convinced that Cassandra has died, with some suggesting an animation frame from season 2 – glimpsed in Bridging the Rift episode 3 (more on this later) – might have revealed as much. It would be odd for Riot and Fortiche to ruin this potential storyline pre-release, but the frame doesn't resemble anything from season 1. Unless it's a deleted scene from that season, then, we think it's part of the show's second entry.
If Mel and Cassandra (at the very least) were killed, Jayce, Ambessa, and Caitlyn will be gunning for Jinx. Regardless of whether Jayce is alive or not, Piltover's remaining leaders – with the aid of Noxus, the fearsome and expansion-driven empire led by Ambessa – are going to walk back on Jayce's promise to give Zaun its independence. After all, Jinx – a Zaun citizen – carried out the attack, which will lead to a full blown conflict between the two cities.
While the trailers confirm they'll work together to find Jinx, Caitlyn's quest for vengeance will likely put her at odds with Vi, whom Caitlyn is close with. Vi is Jinx’s sister, so she'll be caught in a difficult situation: help Caitlyn and Jayce to bring her sister to justice, or try to keep Jinx safe from harm at the cost of the alliances she's forged. Linke confirmed (in a brief fan Q&A on X/Twitter in our cast section) that Vi is all-in on joining the Piltover Enforcers, with Jinx's heavy-hitting older sister basically turning her back on her sibling's unforgivable actions. Still, with the second trailer showing Vi and Caitlyn working alone at various points, we expect things to come to a head between Vi and Caitlyn at some stage, which leads them to go their separate ways, even if it's only a temporary breakdown in their friendship.
Jinx isn't the only thing that could divide Caitlyn and Vi. Responding to a fan on X/Twitter (see below) about whether Caitlyn knows that it was Vi and her gang who blew up Jayce's lab in season 1's opening act, Arcane scriptwriter Amanda Overton revealed that wasn't the case. Will Caitlyn learn the truth in season 2? Place your bets now.
That all said, it sounds like season 2 could actually see Vi and Caitlyn's relationship grow stronger. Speaking at the 2022 BAFTAs (per The Digital Fix), showrunner Alex Yee said fans "will be happy" with that progression, adding: "The way in which we wanted to roll that story out has always been sort of determined. What you will see in season 2 will be part of the big picture that we’ve had all along."
Away from that duo, the war between Piltover and Zaun will take center stage. Tensions were already simmering between the nations before Jinx's reckless act, so a prolonged and brutal conflict is on the cards. During a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, Linke summed up this season's overarching narrative with the word "war", which certainly plays into the trailers' ominous and all-action tones.
Additionally, Yee teased (via Netflix Queue) how the battle lines have already been drawn heading into the next chapter, saying: "We ended season 1 by really pushing a lot of the characters in the show as far as we could from each other. Figuring out how to deal with this puzzle, where all the pieces have now been split up and tossed to the four winds, is going to be the main thrust of season 2."
Intercity conflict aside, Heimerdinger and Ekko – when the latter isn't fighting on his trusty jet-fuelled hoverboard – will continue to collaborate to help Zaun's population. After the former was voted off Piltover’s council in episode 7, he encountered an injured Ekko (following his battle with Jinx) on Zaun's streets in episode 8. The pair bonded over their shared affinity of technology and, after Heimerdinger helps Ekko to return home, they decide to unite to try and ease Zaun’s suffering.
We might also see whether Viktor fully loses himself completely to his Hextech research – you know, providing he returns in season 2, which hasn't been announced yet. He inadvertently murdered his childhood friend Sky thanks to his Hexcore studies and, based on the rest of his season 1 character arc, it appears he’ll walk a darker path if he appears next season. If we know anything about LoL lore, we could see Viktor use Hextech to cybernetically enhance his body further and become the champion that diehard fans know him to be.
As for Hextech and Hexcore's wider involvement in season 2, Linke teased (via the X/Twitter fan Q&A linked to earlier) that Noxus may want to acquire it for their own, empire expanding needs. That's on top of the various references we get to the magic-infused technology throughout the second trailer, too, with other characters seemingly being augmented by the tech that Viktor and Jayce invented, and an unsettling voice over saying "the Arcane is waking up" implying that something sinister is about to happen.
There could also be room for some flashback sequences involving deceased characters. Responding to a Reddit fan's question about whether we'll see Silco and Vander's friendship pre-betrayal, Linke said "you will". Color us excited.
Elaborating on what we can expect from various characters' journeys next time out, Linke told the Academy of Interactive Arts and Science's YouTube channel: "Season 2 was always this thing that made us think 'let's take them further and explore the corner of their psyche and identities we haven't seen'. The challenge was to go to places where they've never been to. I'm excited about what we're doing in that regard. I also hope it makes every League [of Legends] player proud and every animation or fantasy nerd excited about our characters". November can't come soon enough.
Lastly, will Arcane lean more heavily into LoL lore? Yes, Linke teases; the series' co-showrunner saying (again, via the X/Twitter fan Q&A) that the series' story is "somewhat connected" to LoL's Rune Wars, a historical conflict that saw Runterra's mortals battle for supremacy using its World Runes. Interesting, very interesting.
Arcane season 2: Bridging the Rift YouTube series
To tide fans over until Arcane season 2, Riot Games released a YouTube series – Bridging the Rift – in late 2022 that explores the first season's lengthy development:
Before season 2 arrives, fans might want to revisit its predecessor. You can obviously do so by re-watching the first season on Netflix, or you can grab a vinyl copy of Arcane season 1's licensed soundtrack, which is available to buy right now.
Additionally, an official 'Making of' book will released later this year. Per a Riot press release, it's titled 'The Art and Making of Arcane' and features "never-before seen artwork from seasons 1 and 2, interviews with the creators, and unique collectibles". Pre-orders are open now on three different editions – Artifact, Portfolio, and Standard, which come with different extras – ahead of their official launches on December 31, 2024.
Finally, you can pre-order one of four Arcane season 1 physical boxsets. The Standard Blu-ray, Steel Book Blu-ray, Steel Book 4K UHD, and Collector's Edition are available via the Gkids (US), All the Anime and Plaion Pictures (UK), and Sugoi (Australia) online stores.
Is Arcane season 2 going to be the show's final entry?
Unfortunately, yes. In June, Riot and Netflix confirmed Arcane season 2 will be the show's final installment.
Elaborating on why this is the case, Linke said: "From the very beginning, since we started working on this project, we had a very specific ending in mind, which means the story of Arcane wraps up with this second season."
Disappointing as that may be, Riot, Netflix, and Fortiche aren't done with their animated LoL adaptations. Linke continued: "But, Arcane is just the first of many stories that we want to tell in Runeterra. Arcane is just the beginning of our larger storytelling journey and partnership with the wonderful animation studio that is Fortiche.
"Vi and Jinx's arcs have grown so far beyond our original dreams for them, so we wanted to give the same treatment to more [LoL] champions. We're currently working on our next projects across television and film, and we're hopeful we can share more by the end of the year. We're still really early in the stages of that process, and these things do take a lot of time, but we'd like to share updates with you whenever we can."
Really, we should've seen this coming. In Bridging the Rift episode 5, Riot Games co-founder Brandon Beck confirmed the show's creative team would look to explore more of Runeterra (the fictional world Arcane and LoL are set in) and introduce new LoL heroes in subsequent seasons. Many fans took this to mean Vi and Jinx's story will end – and that's proven to be the case.
Sad though we are that Arcane is ending, there are plenty of other stories to tell and new characters to fall in love with. If any of its follow-up projects are half as good as Arcane is (if not better), we can't wait to see what's being cooked up.
For more Netflix-based content, check out our best Netflix movies and best Netflix documentaries guides. Alternatively, read our hubs on Squid Game season 2 and Stranger Things season 5.
