Arcane Season 2 is debuting on Netflix next month, and fans will get to see the continuing heated rivalry between sisters Vi and Jinx. Hailee Steinfeld reprises her voice as Vi and Ella Purnell as Jinx. The world of Arcane is based on the League of Legends video game by Riot Games, and beloved characters from the game are brought to life as an animated series that digs deep into the drama of the people of Piltover and Zaun.

Christian Linke, the co-creator and co-showrunner of Arcane, is back for season 2, and he chats with Nerd Reactor about the creation and impact of the animated series, the challenges of appealing to both gamers and non-gamers and emphasizing the importance of staying true to the characters and their in-game dynamics. Additionally, Linke highlights the universal appeal of the central conflict between Vi and Jinx, particularly their complex sibling relationship.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Nerd Reactor: What is it like for you to try to cater to just the gamers who have been playing it from day one to also people outside?

Christian Linke: You know, it was always a difficult question. People would always ask during the development of Arcane, “Who’s this for? Is it for the gamers? Is it for the non-gamers?” To be honest, I never really had an answer, because I felt like we were living in a time where suddenly the whole world was paying attention to what games had to say, what the characters, the IPs, the worlds looked like and felt like. And so I think from the get-go, the goal was to really stay true to what makes our characters, you know, the characters said they are and kind of just let the general audience embrace the tone and the feel and the look of the game.

I mean, it wasn’t easy. I always say that the hard thing about adapting a video game like League of Legends is that it’s not just about the biographies and the description of their world. It’s about the meta of the players, and how it feels to play these characters. You know when you play Vi in League, you go in first and you will die first and you will not make it out. With Jinx, it’s the opposite. You have to keep your distance, and she kind of gets amped up really fast when she takes someone down. So we always tried to take these things into our writing, and it’s the same thing for season two. The characters have to feel authentic, and that’s never easy, because it kind of changes over time as as our gaming audience adapts these characters into whatever roles.

Nerd Reactor: And did you ever think that when doing this show, that these characters are going to be so beloved? Jinx is already beloved, but now, she’s got a whole story that people can see is fleshed out, and the relationship with her and Vi, just seeing from the inception to just the reaction to the world?

Christian Linke: Well, that’s a good question. Did did I expect? I mean, I think we had this strong magnetism toward these characters for a reason. I think we always believe in them and love them. I think it’s impossible to really predict how much people are going to really agree with us until it comes out. I think the central question between them as sisters is very universal. I don’t know if you have siblings. I do. It’s not always easy but you know, they’re family.

The central question that we had for them was “Can they ever be sisters again after what happens in the third episode of the first season?” And I think everybody who has that kind of sibling or even just a close friendship or another family member that causes that kind of stress like everyone understands that question and can feel that question. And so I think that’s what really sparked things, especially with VI and Jinx. And so when I think about the most iconic characters that we all love, I think it’s easy to think that what makes them special in our memories is their design. But if you want to tell me that Luke Skywalker is such an iconic character because he wears a white robe, I’m like, “That’s just not it.” It’s his choices, right? It’s like the things he does that we fall in love with. And I think it’s the same for VI and Jinx. The things they do really make us fall in love with them.

Nerd Reactor: So you’re saying there is hope for their family relationship, their bond?

Christian Linke: I mean, I think for everybody that has seen them grow up together as kids and survive these crazy trials in the undercity and see how they help each other and support each other and have each other’s backs, it’s impossible to stop hoping, right? There’s always this little spark at times. It seems pretty much impossible. But I think there’s always this question in the end, “Are they able to really kill each other?” That’s such an impossible question to answer until you actually are confronted with this situation.

Nerd Reactor: Based on the trailer, Vi is really angry. She was aggressive before, but now she’s really aggressive. She’s fighting, she’s competing and just beating up everyone. So what do you think is the the switch here, especially after the aftermath of the first season?

Christian Linke: Well, I think Vi, what’s difficult for her is that she, in a way, what happens at the end of season one, it alienates her and makes it also that she finds her new home and kind of close the lines with Caitlyn. You know, she now has this association with Piltover and the underground becomes more and more this foreign place that is kind of haunted by her sister. So I think there’s a bit of a feeling of being lost for Vi. I know the feeling myself, but it feels like when you’re in a place where it’s a nice place, it’s a place where you’ve chosen to live, but it’s not home. And I think that is something, I think, really difficult for Vi as we know we get into the next chapter of the story.

Nerd Reactor: And Ella Purnell, she’s Jinx and then she’s also in Fallout. It’s this whole video game world, and she’s knocking it out of the park. What are your thoughts on that and just her doing all these things and then coming back for season two?

Christian Linke: I mean, it’s awesome and fun to see Ella conquer the world. I mean to us, it was always obvious just how incredibly good she is. Her voice is just unbelievable. The control she has, the different colors that she can kind of summon, like her expressiveness. Also, it was just a matter of time until the world realizes just how incredibly talented she is.

About Arcane

From Riot Games, ARCANE returns this November on Netflix. The animated series, based on the League of Legends game and one of Netflix’s most successful animated series ever, is created by Christian Linke and Alex Yee. Executive producers include Linke, Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck. The Animation Studio is Fortiche Production. Voices include Hailee Steinfeld (Vi), Annie Award winner Ella Purnell (Jinx) and Katie Leung (Caitlyn), Reed Shannon (Ekko), Amirah Vann (Sevika), Mick Wingert (Heimerdinger), Ellen Thomas (Ambessa), and Brett Tucker (Singed) among others to be announced. Fortiche directed and produced the animation, under the direction of the founders Pascal Charrue and Arnaud Delord.

Season One of ARCANE solidified Netflix’s position as a leader in adapting game franchises into animated cultural phenomena. Globally praised as one of the Best TV Shows of 2021, the adult animated series also earned four PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS (2022) including Outstanding Animated Program – the first streaming series to win Outstanding Animated Program. The series swept the 2022 Annie Awards with wins in Nine categories including Best TV/Media, Best Writing, Best Voice Acting (Ella Purnell), Best Direction, Best Production Design, Best Character Animation, Best Storyboarding, Best Character Design and Best FX. The series was also recognized by the gaming community winning Best Adaptation at The Game Awards (2022). In addition, the Arcane album was nominated for a 2022 Billboard Music Award for Top Soundtrack.

Creators: Christian Linke, Alex Yee

Executive Producers: Christian Linke, Marc Merrill, Brandon Beck