Arcane’s Showrunner Responds to Season 2 Pacing Concerns: Striving for the Perfect Story Balance

Many fans have voiced that the final act of Arcane’s second season seemed a bit rushed, and showrunner Christian Linke has weighed in on these concerns.

Let’s face it, while Arcane is undoubtedly a visual delight, the storyline felt somewhat scattered during its sophomore—and what appears to be its final—season. There were too many threads to properly develop, needing at least another season to unravel. Speaking with GamesRadar, Linke addressed the feedback about the show’s pacing. “When people watch season 1, they notice the pacing… season 2 differs a bit on that front,” Linke explained.

Linke appreciates the audience’s feedback, acknowledging that, while most viewers are pleased, some felt things went too fast. “It’s rushed. What’s going on?” is a sentiment he often hears. As GamesRadar highlights, a significant allure of the first season was watching the characters’ relationships grow and evolve. Season two, on the other hand, had a tendency to zoom through these aspects to reach a conclusion more quickly. Linke admits the creative team opted for a different approach in structuring season two, wanting to take some risks and try new things.

“For most people, it worked really well. But for those wanting a direct continuation of season one, it was a letdown, and that’s unfortunate. I’m not thrilled they feel this way, but I respect it.” Another layer to the conversation is the missed opportunity to bring more characters from the League of Legends universe into the story. Some fans were overwhelmed by the number of storylines, while others were left wanting more, highlighting characters that didn’t make an appearance.

“There are those who feel it’s too condensed and packed with content, and then there are those asking, ‘Where’s Camille? She’s from Piltover. Where’s Blitzcrank? Where’s Twitch? Why weren’t they included?’ So, while some thought we crammed too much in, others felt we didn’t do enough. We aimed to strike the right balance,” Linke elaborated.

Honestly, I believe Arcane could have benefited from another season, but given the hefty cost of both seasons, it’s understandable why that didn’t happen. Besides, it appears Riot has plans for more multimedia content on the horizon, which likely nudged them to wrap this series up in whatever way they could.