Despite its widespread acclaim and the buzz surrounding its second season, Arcane, the popular League of Legends spin-off, has not fared well commercially, with its financial outcomes failing to match its critical success.
A Bloomberg report revealed that a Riot representative confirmed the series broke even financially but didn’t achieve commercial success, despite its widespread acclaim on leading online platforms,
There seems a plethora of reasons against this outcome. Riot appears to have been without a solid plan to recover the money invested.
They also took on excessive financial commitments, particularly in promoting the show and hosting the related award ceremonies.
The project ended up costing more than projected and fell short of the team’s expected returns. Moreover, it didn’t significantly enhance engagement with League of Legends.
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Arcane: Celebrated by Critics, Struggling Commercially?
The minimal support for Arcane League of Legends is unsurprising, given the weak link between the show and the game.
Well, unlike other companies that often include in-game events or special rewards to promote such crossovers, Riot mainly opted for a handful of character skins.
This limited effort was unlikely to attract new players, particularly since League of Legends is a complex game with a steep learning curve that can be daunting for upcoming gamers.
Riot may not see an instant profit, but there seems to be a clear chance in the long run to grab success. If their agreement with Netflix includes royalties, they could benefit as more people watch and revisit the show over time.
The results will become clear with time. As fans, we can only hope the show thrives, who wouldn’t want more series like Arcane?
It would be disappointing if this discouraged Riot. Perhaps this experience will also lead them to improve the onboarding process for new players.
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