A new report recently revealed that Arcane is the most expensive animated series ever made – but industry professionals have come out in defense of the League of Legends spin-off's reported $250 million price tag.
"Let this be the example for the standard if you want artistry and quality," production designer and artist Jason Scheier, who's worked on shows like Blue Eye Samurai and Ultraman: Rising, wrote on Twitter in response to the news. "Perfection takes time, and it takes resources. Every frame in Arcane is truly a painting, and nuanced at a level I feel our viewership deserves. Using the animation medium to be expressive, and to tell incredible larger than life stories."
Arcane season 1's nine episodes are reported to have cost approximately $80 million to produce, with season 2 costs rising to $100 million. Series producers and League of Legends developers Riot Games also reportedly spent $60 million on promotion across the two seasons, but declined to confirm the figures.
The show, which is set to end with its upcoming second season and has been getting rave first reactions, follows two sisters, Jinx (Ella Purnell) and Vi (Hailee Steinfeld), who find themselves on opposite sides of an escalating conflict between Piltover, a utopian city, and Zaun, its oppressed underbelly. Season 1 was released back in 2021, so the final season is long-awaited.
Arcane season 2 act 1 arrives on Netflix on November 9, with the rest of the episodes following later in the month – find out more with our Arcane season 2 release schedule. For more, check out our picks of the other best Netflix shows to add to your watchlist.
