Arcane showrunner defends the Netflix show against "rushed" criticisms: "I'm not happy they feel that way, but I respect that"

Jinx and Vi in Arcane season 2
(Image credit: Netflix)

Arcane showrunner and co-creator Christian Linke has defended the show against complaints that the second season felt "rushed".

"When people watch season 1, there's an aspect to the pacing… season 2 is a bit different in that regard," Linke tells GamesRadar+. "I respect that people express that [opinion]. You're right – the vast majority of the audience seems to be happy. But there are people who say, 'It's rushed. What's going on?'"

For some, the stretch of episodes from Act 2 and Act 3 crammed in so much plot – and fast-forwarded through so many relationships – that it moved away from the interpersonal dynamics and more intimate politics that made the first season such a runaway success on Netflix.

"Yeah, there are people who say it's too rushed, too much going on. There's also the flip side. I see like, 'Where's Camille? She's part of Piltover. Where's Blitzcrank? Where's Twitch? Why didn't you include them?' On one side, you have people saying it's too much. On the other, you have people saying we didn't do enough and we did our best… It's hard. We're doing our best to include the right amount of story."

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.