Arcane season 2: Netflix release date, trailer, confirmed cast, plot synopsis, and more news and rumors

• February 23, 2022

Arcane season 2 is almost here, everyone. Nearly three years after the incredibly successful Netflix series made its debut, its second and final chapter is gearing up to blow our minds and break our hearts. There’s no time like the present, then, to read up on what we know about it thus far.

In this guide, you’ll find the most important and very latest intel on Arcane‘s sophomore outing, such as its trio of release dates, cast list, and story details. You can also watch (or rewatch, we’re not judging you) its various trailers and teasers, and learn more about how one of the best Netflix shows‘ last season may set up other League of Legends (LoL) animated adaptations.

Full spoilers follow for Arcane‘s debut season. Potential season 2 spoilers are discussed, too, in our cast and story sections.

Arcane season 2 release date

Announced in mid-September, Netflix confirmed Arcane season 2 will make its debut on Saturday, November 9 – just two days later than the date we’ve predicted for the past few months. Before then, Netflix had only revealed Arcane 2‘s November 2024 release window, so confirmation of its official launch date has been a long time coming.

Like its predecessor, Arcane‘s second season will arrive in three parts. Act 1 will arrive on the aforementioned date, Act 2 debuts on November 16, and Act 3 officially marks the series’ end on November 23. Each volume will comprise three episodes apiece, too.

Arcane season 2 trailer

Arcane: Season 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix – YouTube

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Arcane season 2’s official trailer arrived on September 6 – and, while its epic round of new footage teased all-out war between Piltover and Zaun, it didn’t answer our prayers for a confirmed Arcane 2 release date (thankfully, that’s since been rectified). However, what it did was spawn a magical new fan theory about who the series’ main villain will be.

Missed a more recent season 2 trailer, which contains snippets of new footage set to Stray Kids, Miko, and Tom Morello’s ‘Come Play’ track that’s part of its official soundtrack? Watch it below:

Arcane: Season 2 | “Come Play” | Series Trailer | Netflix – YouTube

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Did you somehow miss Arcane season 2’s official trailer in mid-June, too? You can watch it below as well:

Arcane: Season 2 | Official Teaser | Netflix – YouTube

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There’s plenty more footage to pore over before Arcane‘s second installment launches. In June, a brief teaser showcased potential new heroes, another possible time skip, and Vi’s new costume. That arrived five months after another all-too-short trailer teased a fan-favorite League of Legend villain’s debut in hit Netflix show.

Three other clips have also been released over the last few months. For starters, one showed Heimerdinger and Ekko summon their inner Batman for an amusing stealth-based mission. Next, a suspense-filled, Jinx-starring season 2 clip suggested she’ll get her ass handed to her early next season, while a clip released during Geeked Week Live 2024 gave us our best look yet at Pit Fighter Vi and the inner demons she’ll face this season.

Arcane season 2 cast: confirmed and rumored

Major spoilers follow for Arcane season 1.

Here’s the confirmed cast for Arcane season 2 so far:

• Hailee Steinfeld as Vi
• Ella Purnell as Jinx
• Katie Leung as Caitlyn
• Reed Shannon as Ekko
• Amirah Vann as Sevika
• Mick Wingert as Heimerdinger
• Ellen Thomas as Ambessa
• Brett Tucker as Singed

That’s… not a very long list of characters, but that’s because we don’t know which other voice actors are reprising their roles from season 1. Indeed, in the season 1 finale, Jinx fired a crystal rocket, which evoked her Super Mega Death Rocket ultra ability in LoL – the videogame franchise that Arcane is based on – at Piltover’s council chamber during a meeting involving Jayce, Mel, Viktor, Cassandra, Hoskel, Bolbok, Shoola, and Salo. Season 2’s predecessor ended on a cliff hanger, so the fate of each participant has been unclear for almost three years.

In a bid to preserve season 2’s biggest mysteries, including who survived, Arcane‘s latest trailers suggest they all perished. However, we suspect this is a misdirect and fully expect one or two of the aforementioned councillors to be alive, if not necessarily fighting fit, next season.

Regardless, Arcane season 2 will introduce us to new characters throughout its three acts. We’ve already know three individuals, aka the unnamed trio of Piltover Enforcers stood alongside Caitlyn and Vi in this section’s main image, will make their debuts, while Smeech, a Yordle chem-baron who leads a gang known as the Scrap Hackers, is back after featuring periodically in season 1.

As confirmed by co-creator Christian Linke in an X/Twitter fan Q&A, new LoL champions are also set to appear. That includes one big-name player who, likely due to spoilers, hasn’t been officially announced as part of the season 2 roster. Indeed, a gorgeous Arcane season 2 poster hinted at this fan-favorite character’s return, but don’t expect them to be a hero this time around. The identities of Arcane‘s other LoL champions are yet to be unveiled.

Arcane season 2 plot synopsis and rumors

Full spoilers follow for Arcane season 1. 

Here’s Arcane season 2’s extremely brief story synopsis: “In this final chapter, Jinx’s attack on the Council sets the stage for a dire escalation of the conflict between Piltover and Zaun.”

Fine, keep your secrets, Riot and Netflix. Regardless, it sounds like it’ll be even more of an emotional gut-punch than its forebear. Speaking to TechRadar in early April, Ella Purnell – who voices Jinx – revealed that she “cried” during an ADR (automated dialog replacement) session for this season’s finale. In short: have a box of tissues at the ready.

Tiny story brief notwithstanding, what do we know about Arcane season 2’s primary plot? For starters, it’ll need to tackle the fallout from the Piltover council chamber attack. If we had to guess, Jayce, Viktor, and one of Cassandra and Mel (Jayce’s partner and Ambessa’s daughter) will survive, but the rest will have perished. The latter two are too important to kill off, while Cassandra and/or Mel’s deaths will be the catalyst for the Piltover-Zaun war if Caitlyn and Ambessa get their way.

On Reddit, fans are convinced Cassandra has died, with some suggesting an animation frame from season 2 – glimpsed in Bridging the Rift episode 3 (more on this later) – might have revealed as much. It’s strange that Riot and Fortiche would ruin (if they have) this potential storyline pre-release, but it doesn’t resemble anything from season 1, so it’s bound to be part of a season 2 sequence.

If Mel and Cassandra (at the very least) die, Piltover’s remaining leaders – with the aid of Noxus, aka the fearsome and expansion-driven empire led by Ambessa – are surely going to walk back on Jayce’s promise to give Zaun its independence as well. After all, Jinx – a Zaun citizen – carried out the attack, so a full-blown war between the so-called City of Progress (Piltover) and its poorer undercity cousin (Zaun) is inevitable. Tensions were already simmering between the nations before Jinx’s reckless act, so a prolonged and brutal conflict is on the cards. During a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, Linke summed up this season’s overarching narrative with the word “war”, so prepare yourself for some bloody and brutal action.

Additionally, Yee teased (via Netflix Queue) how the battle lines have already been drawn heading into the next chapter, saying: “We ended season 1 by really pushing a lot of the characters in the show as far as we could from each other. Figuring out how to deal with this puzzle, where all the pieces have now been split up and tossed to the four winds, is going to be the main thrust of season 2.”

Caitlyn’s quest for vengeance will likely put her at odds with Vi at some stage, too. The pair grew increasingly close throughout season 1 acts 2 and 3, with many observing that a romance might be developing between them. The released footage also confirms Vi wants to find Jinx as much as Caitlyn does – she’s successful in doing so, too, as we see Vi and Jinx fighting in Jinx’s lair – while Linke has revealed (in the X/Twitter Q&A we link to in our cast section) Vi is all-in on joining the Piltover Enforcers, with Jinx’s heavy-hitting older sister basically turning her back on her sibling’s unforgivable actions.

However, Jinx is still Vi’s sister, so the latter could be caught in a difficult situation throughout season 2: help Caitlyn bring her sibling to justice, or try to keep Jinx safe from harm at the cost of the alliances she’s forged. With Vi going underground and disguising herself as a emo-style, biker-inspired bruiser – fans are calling this iteration of the character ‘Pit Fighter Vi’ – we expect things to sour between Caitlyn and Vi, which leads to a temporary breakdown in their friendship.

Jinx isn’t the only thing that could divide Caitlyn and Vi. Responding to a fan on X/Twitter (see below) about whether Caitlyn knows that it was Vi and her gang who blew up Jayce’s lab in season 1’s opening act, Arcane scriptwriter Amanda Overton revealed that wasn’t the case. Will Caitlyn learn the truth in season 2? Place your bets now.

That all said, don’t count on Vi and Caitlyn eventually reuniting and developing a stronger relationship this season. Speaking at the 2022 BAFTAs (per The Digital Fix), co-creator Alex Yee said fans “will be happy” with the progression of their bond, adding: “The way in which we wanted to roll that story out has always been sort of determined. What you will see in season 2 will be part of the big picture that we’ve had all along.”

Elsewhere, Heimerdinger and Ekko – when the latter isn’t fighting on his trusty jet-fuelled hoverboard – will continue to collaborate to help Zaun’s population. After the former was voted off Piltover’s council in episode 7, he encountered an injured Ekko (following his battle with Jinx) on Zaun’s streets in episode 8. The pair bonded over their shared affinity of technology and, after Heimerdinger helps Ekko to return home, they decide to unite to try and ease Zaun’s suffering.

We might also see whether Viktor fully loses himself completely to his Hextech research – you know, providing he returns in season 2, which hasn’t been announced yet. Thanks to his Hexcore studies, he inadvertently murdered his childhood friend Sky and, based on the latter parts of his season 1 character arc, it appears he’ll walk a darker path next season. If we know anything about LoL lore, we could see Viktor use Hextech to cybernetically enhance his body further and become the champion that diehard fans know him to be.

As for Hextech and Hexcore’s wider involvement in season 2, Linke teased (again, via his X/Twitter fan Q&A) that Noxus may want to acquire Hextech for their own empire expanding needs. That’s on top of the various references we get to the magic-infused technology throughout the trailers, with other characters seemingly being augmented by the Hexcore as an unsettling voice says “the Arcane is waking up”, which implies something sinister is going to happen.

There could also be room for some flashback sequences involving deceased characters. Responding to a Reddit fan’s question about whether we’ll see Silco and Vander’s friendship pre-betrayal, Linke said “you will“. Elaborating on what we can expect from various characters’ journeys next time out, Linke told the Academy of Interactive Arts and Science’s YouTube channel: “Season 2 was always this thing that made us think ‘let’s take them further and explore the corner of their psyche and identities we haven’t seen’. The challenge was to go to places where they’ve never been to. I’m excited about what we’re doing in that regard. I also hope it makes every League [of Legends] player proud and every animation or fantasy nerd excited about our characters.”

Meanwhile, expect Arcane to lean more heavily into LoL lore – Linke teasing (via the X/Twitter fan Q&A once more) that the story is “somewhat connected” to LoL’s Rune Wars, a historical conflict that saw Runterra’s mortals battle for supremacy using its World Runes.

For anyone pumped to learn more about this season’s official soundtrack, its full track list, plus the artists involved in its creation, was unveiled a week before season 2’s release dates were – you can learn more via our Arcane season 2 soundtrack article. Lastly, Afterglow, a new after show hosted by Vi and Jinx voice actors Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell, will lift the lid on season 2’s development, narratives, and more after each act is released. So, there’ll be plenty more Arcane content to enjoy between season 2’s three acts.

Where to watch Arcane season 1 and Bridging the Rift YouTube series

To tide fans over until Arcane season 2, Riot Games released a YouTube series – Bridging the Rift – in late 2022 that explores the first season’s lengthy development:

Before season 2 arrives, fans might want to revisit elements of its predecessor. You can obviously do so by re-watching the first season on Netflix and/or you can grab a vinyl copy of Arcane season 1’s soundtrack, which is available to buy now. Four Arcane season 1 physical boxsets – the Standard Blu-ray, Steel Book Blu-ray, Steel Book 4K UHD, and Collector’s Edition – are also available to purchase at numerous online retailers as well.

Additionally, an official ‘Making of’ book will released later this year. Per a Riot press release, it’s titled ‘The Art and Making of Arcane’ and features “never-before seen artwork from seasons 1 and 2, interviews with the creators, and unique collectibles”. Pre-orders are open now on three different editions – Artifact, Portfolio, and Standard, which come with different extras – ahead of their official launches on December 31, 2024.

Why is Arcane season 2 going to be the hit show’s last chapter?

In June, Riot and Netflix confirmed Arcane season 2 will be the show’s final installment. Explaining why (see the X/Twitter video above), Linke said: “From the very beginning… we had a very specific ending in mind, which means the story of Arcane wraps up with this second season.”

Disappointing as that is, Riot, Netflix, and Fortiche aren’t done with their animated LoL adaptations. Linke continued: “But, Arcane is just the first of many stories that we want to tell in Runeterra. Arcane is just the beginning of our larger storytelling journey and partnership with the wonderful animation studio that is Fortiche.

“Vi and Jinx’s arcs have grown so far beyond our original dreams for them, so we wanted to give the same treatment to more [LoL] champions. We’re currently working on our next projects across television and film, and we’re hopeful we can share more by the end of the year. We’re still really early in the stages of that process, and these things do take a lot of time, but we’d like to share updates with you whenever we can.”

Really, we should’ve seen this coming. In Bridging the Rift episode 5, Riot Games co-founder Brandon Beck confirmed the show’s creative team wanted to explore more of Runeterra (the fictional world Arcane and LoL are set in) and introduce new LoL heroes to a wider audience. Many fans took this to mean Vi and Jinx’s story will end – and that’s proven to be the case.

Sad though we are that Arcane is ending, there are plenty of other stories to tell and new characters to fall in love with. If any of its follow-up projects are half as good as Arcane is (if not better), we can’t wait to see what’s being cooked up.

For more Netflix-based content, check out our best Netflix movies and best Netflix documentaries guides. Alternatively, read our hubs on Squid Game season 2 and Stranger Things season 5.

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Arcane season 2: key information – Releasing in three acts, comprising three episodes each, throughout November– Will be the hit show’s final season– Numerous trailers and teasers released since November 2023– Footage teases new League of Legend (LoL) champion appearances– Eight key cast members returning– Will pick up right after…