The Netflix Arcane phenomenon surprises, but fails to attract new League of Legends players

Since its premiere, Arcane has established himself as a narrative and visual success, winning over critics and the public. But behind this cultural phenomenon, news emerges that speak of an apparent economic failure for Riot Games. Despite the success of the series and its numerous awards, the studio seems to have failed to turn the series into a driving force to attract new players. League of Legendswhich generated a wave of both positive and critical comments.

A success that transcends the game

Inspired by the universe of League of Legends, Arcane led to iconic characters such as Jinx, Vi and Ekko to the world of high level animation. The first season debuted on Netflix to an impressive number of 34 million views in the first week. Its second season, although with a decline in viewership, remained among the most popular content on the service at the time of its launch.

However, the high production and marketing costs of the series, figure 250 million dollarsraised doubts about the profitability of the project. According to recent reports, Riot he recovered less than half of his investment with the second season, leading some to call the series a financial mistake.

Why hasn’t there been an increase in players?

The lack of impact on the player base League of Legends he was one of the most important critics. After the season 1 premiere, Riot failed to do so take full advantage of the success of the show with new characters, cosmetics or themed content in the game. Although there was an initial increase in new players, the majority did not remain active in the game.

With season two, Riot attempted to remedy this situation releases new skins and champions inspired by the series, as expected Ambessa and Melwhich will arrive next year. Despite these efforts, content sales were not enough to meet income expectations.

Success is not measured in money

In the face of criticism, Marc Merrillco-founder of Riot Games, came forward on Reddit, defend the company’s vision. Merrill emphasized that the main goal of Arcane It was never about selling skins or generating direct revenue for the game. According to him, the series is designed for future of Riot and its community.

“Those who look at the world with a transactional and cynical perspective have difficulty understanding Riot“Commented Merrill. He stated that the series was a triumph in terms of experience for the players and emotional connection with the fans. “To be clear, Arcane It was a success for the players and therefore it was a success for us“.

Despite doubts about profitability, Riot assures that the series has been a success important pillar to expand your universe. In fact, Merrill confirmed that there are more animated projects in developmentincluding spin-offs focusing on other champions from the game. In his words, the company continues to bet create quality content which contributes in the long term, even if it does not generate immediate results.

The dilemma between art and business

Riot’s response highlights a recurring debate in the entertainment industry: To what extent should success be measured by numbers? While some criticize the lack of economic benefits, others they applaud Riot’s courage giving priority to fan experience and narrative quality above the numbers giving a high quality product to its followers.

Although it’s hard to ignore the economic impact, Arcane achieved what few video game-based series have achieved: break the barriers of your niche become a cultural reference. While it hasn’t attracted as many new players as expected, its legacy as a milestone of animation remains undeniable.