Netflix debuts 'Arcane' Season 2 as Hollywood embraces video game adaptations

Three years after debuting to near-unanimous acclaim, “Arcane” — a drama based on the ultra-popular “League of Legends” video game — returns to Netflix Saturday.

“It’s one of the most exciting shows I've seen in years,” says Variety reporter Katcy Stephan. “Between the animation style, the voice acting and just the clear amount of care that was put into it.”

That attention to detail didn’t come cheaply. Parent company Riot Games spent approximately $250 million on “Arcane” across 18 episodes and two seasons. But while Riot has had to scale back its ambitions in scripted entertainment, Hollywood is trying to cash in on gaming properties — from box office bombs like “Borderlands” to critical hits like Amazon’s “Fallout” and HBO’s “The Last Us.”

“An adaptation of one of the best-selling games of all time sounds like it would be an easy slam dunk,” says Stephan. “But you have diehard fans who will pick apart every single change and others who say ‘I haven’t played the game, why should I watch this show?’”

For Stephan, the answer to that question is simple. “‘Arcane’ is one of the shining beacons of how to do a video game adaptation — it pays tribute to its source material while expanding on its world and making it accessible to a broader audience,” she says. “It’s just really good.”