As discussed earlier this year, the production costs for the two seasons of Netflix’s Arcane were substantial. With a total cost of over $250 million, Arcane is now the priciest animated TV series ever made.
Bloomberg recently called Arcane a “flop,” despite its huge popularity, solid ratings, and critical acclaim (even if Season 2 faced some issues). From a financial standpoint, the series ended up costing more than it earned, which is why Bloomberg wouldn’t call the show a hit.
Riot Games, the creators of League of Legends and the show featuring its characters, strongly oppose that view. Marc Merrill, co-founder of Riot, offered a response that includes a quote worth noting.
“Those who view things from a short-term, transactional, and cynical perspective often find it hard to understand Riot.
This has been the case with people who claimed that high-quality free games wouldn’t succeed, that esports would never take off, or that our music was ridiculous, and now they’re saying that Arcane wasn’t impressive or worthwhile.”
Discover BTS Process of Arcane Season 2 Through These Fascinating Making-Of Videos
Arcane Was a Success for Both Players & Us
I’m not sure how you feel, but hearing that from a CEO is truly exciting to me. For the record, Riot does see Arcane as a profitable investment when factoring in the additional attention and revenue League of Legends garnered post-release.
Arcane will likely remain a cultural touchstone for years, and its lasting impact will benefit LoL over time. It’s a great example of investing for the long haul, rather than just focusing on the short term… what a novel idea.
Merrill is certainly a sharp mind, there aren’t too many like him! You can catch both seasons of Arcane on Netflix, and more LoL series are in development.
