Picture: The regions of Ionia, Bilgewater, and Shurima – Riot Games
Arcane has been an unprecedented success on Netflix. But after only two seasons, the series is already ending. It’s not all doom and gloom, as plans are already in motion for more stories to take place in the world of Runeterra. Here are some of the Arcane spin-offs we could see on Netflix.
First released in October 2009, League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena video game from Riot Games that has become one of the genre’s most popular franchises. Like every popular MOBA, what made League of Legends so famous is its roster of colorful characters and the option (typically through microtransactions) to edit the roster with different skins.
In 2014, the game was rebooted, changing the game’s fictional setting and lore. While this upset fans initially, the introduction of Graham McNeil, a Warhammer writer, was hired by Riot Games to help its writers enrich the lore. Soon, fans fell in love with the new fictional setting, moving on from The Fields of Justice to the planet Runeterra.
Seven years later, Riot Games’ tie-in series Arcane was released on Netflix and received widespread critical acclaim. The series has gained immense popularity with the release of its second season, attracting millions of new fans to the franchise, many of whom are interested in the lore and world of “League of Legends.”
With over 140 playable characters and multiple fascinating locations across Runeterra, Riot Games has an embarrassment of riches for future Arcane spin-offs. Fans will be desperate to see their favorite heroes and cities receive the Arcane treatment.
Here are some Arcane spin-offs we could see in the near future.
Noxus invasion of Ionia
One of the most requested spin-offs we’ve seen is the story of the Noxus invasion of Ionia. Noxus is an expansionist empire and a brutal one at that. The nation lies northwest of Piltover and Zaun, where Ambessa calls home. Meanwhile, the beautiful archipelago of Ionia sits eastward of the Noxus coast across a treacherous and dangerous sea.
According to the League of Legends Wiki, the events of the invasion of Ionia took place over fifteen years. It took ten years of scouting and preparation before Grand General Boram Darkwill sent an invasion force to the archipelago. At first, they were met with little resistance, but the brutality of their occupation and expansion resulted in the tribes of Ionia fighting back with a furious vengeance.
In League of Legends, there are forty different playable characters across Noxus and Ionia: eighteen champions belonging to Noxus and twenty-two belonging to Ionia. In Arcane, Ambessa has already hinted at her ambitions for Noxus, suggesting we could see a story set in Noxus sooner rather than later. Not to mention, characters such as Singed, as seen in Arcane, played a monstrous part in the war that Ionia will be scarred by for generations to come.
Adventures in Bilgewater
Bilgewater is to Runeterra what to Tortuga was to Earth. A lawless island and a haven for all the wretched scum and villainy you can dream of. From marauding pirates to sneaky smugglers and gallivanting adventurers, Bilgewater is the place to make a name for yourself or meet your demise. Sitting snugly in between the Noxus Empire, the Ionia Archipelago, the coast of Kumungu, and the mysterious Shadow Isles, Bilgewater is a major trade port and a melting pot of all of the different races seen across the world of Runeterra.
Burning Tides and Shadow and Fortune are already two short stories set in Bilgewater. Riot Games could look to adapt those stories and expand upon the lore for a future spin-off.
The Fall (and Rise) of Shurima
Shurima is Runeterra’s equivalent to Ancient Egypt. Over a millennium ago, through the power of the Sun Disc, a megastructure capable of ascending mortals into God-like warriors, Shurima was a mighty empire controlling most of the Southern Continent. However, after centuries of oppression, a rebellion from the Icathians kicked off a chain of events that would ultimately lead to the demise of the Shurima Empire and its ascended warriors.
The once proud empire was left to the sands of time, and its sun disc became an object of legend. However, over a millennia later, Azir, Shurima’s lost emperor, was resurrected, and his ascension to godhood saw the return of the once great empire.
A story based on Shurima’s downfall, while a story set in the present that focuses on Sivir, the last of Azir’s bloodline, would be an incredible story to see unfold.
What Arcane spin-offs would you like to see? Let us know in the comments below!
Netflix Synopsis: "Amid the stark discord of twin cities Piltover and Zaun, two sisters fight on rival sides of a war between magic technologies and clashing convictions."
