Arcane Season 2 is about to start Netflix but did you know it’s based on the wildly popular free-to-play game League Of Legends?
Netflix’s Arcane Season 2 will finally be launched on November 9. It has been three years since the animated show took the world by storm, delighting not only fans of Riot’s League Of Legends, but also critics and the general audience.
The show’s beautiful art style was created by French animation studio Fortiche and matched with the dark storyline of two brothers torn apart by conflict, creating an award-winning surprise success. Perhaps surprisingly, Jinx and Vi’s story is strong enough to stand on its own, even if you don’t know that it’s based on the wildly popular League Of Legends video game.
If the show piqued your interest, you might be surprised that not only is League Of Legends free to play, but it’s also such a complex strategy game that it can be difficult to follow. Here’s everything you need to know about the game based on Netflix’s Arcane.
What is League of Legends?
League Of Legends (often referred to as LoL) is the world’s most popular MOBA, which means multiplayer online battle arena. It is also one of the biggest esports in the world. Last year, the League Of Legends World Championship attracted more than 6 million viewers during its peak.
In its most popular form, a mode called Summoner’s Rift, it is a 5v5 team game, played from a top-down perspective. Each player plays as a unique fantasy character equipped with their own abilities that can be upgraded during matches.
There are a staggering 169 ‘champions’ in the game, including Jinx and Vi, so you’re bound to find one that jives with. The goal is to push through three lanes of computer-controlled enemies, destroying defensive towers and respawning minions that protect the Nexus in the enemy base. The team that destroys the other team’s Nexus is the winner.
There are other popular modes like ARAM (All Random, All Mid), which simplifies things by putting everything in one lane, but the basic mechanics remain the same. If you’ve ever played a strategy game, League Of Legends will look familiar. That’s because it, and the entire MOBA genre, started as a fan mod for Warcraft 3.
The main difference is that in real-time strategy games like Warcraft you control minions or build structures, while MOBAs have you as one champion, destroying AI minions, pre-built structures, and other players.
How can you play League Of Legends?
You have two ways to play League Of Legends. The first is the main game. It’s available for free on PC or Mac via the Riot Client. All you have to do is go to the League Of Legends website and press the ‘Play for Free’ button. After creating an account, you can choose to install on PC or Mac, where you only need to complete the 12.7GB installation to start playing.
Another way to play on mobile, with Riot dedicated Android and iOS versions. It’s called League Of Legends: Wild Rift. Although Wild Rift is a little more condensed, with matches not lasting long enough, basically the same game and a good place to start for new players. The same principle of destroying towers to get closer to the enemy’s Nexus remains and the controls are easily simplified for mobile.
Both versions are free and you can play a lot without having to spend money. If you do, it will usually buy extra champions or get skins. Please note that if you are playing on PC and have a Game Pass subscription, you will get exclusive bonuses, the most useful of which is that you get access to all heroes.
How are Arcane and League Of Legends related?
League Of Legends is set on RuneterraThe fantasy world is filled with different regions where the champions come from. Riot offers an overview of the online world, where you can explore each area and character. Arcane is set in an area that features the affluent Piltover and the undercity of Zaun.
The show pulls from an existing background, but most of the connections are left out. League Of Legends is not a story driven game. This is a highly competitive and complex team experience. You won’t find too many rich narrative moments or real explorations in the world of Runeterra that match Arcane’s style.
The Netflix show uses biographies and universe lore but mostly from outside the games, including in novels and webcomics. So, while Jinx and Vi are the two champions, and their backgrounds are similar in the show and the game, you won’t learn more about them by playing League Of Legends.
That said, there are other titles set in the world of Runeterra. There’s the Legends of Runeterra card game and the upcoming 2XKO fighting game, which use League Of Legends characters as their backdrop – but again, these aren’t story-like explorations of the world.
However, there are several short spin-offs that are more narrative focused. Convergence, The Mageseeker and Ruined King are standalone titles that come under it League of Legends Story banner. While not complicated this role-playing game is more likely to scratch the itch if you want something to play after Arcane.
That said, Riot is looking to expand the world of Runeterra in the future, so a more traditional, story-based experience may be on the horizon.
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