Arcane season 2: release date, trailer, cast, plot, and more news and rumors on the hit Netflix show’s return

Rejoice, everyone, because Arcane season 2 debuts on Netflix this week (at the time of writing, anyway). That’s right, three years after the hugely successful animated series’ first season was released, its second and final chapter launches on November 9. As a massive fan of the show, words cannot express how excited I am.

As the hours count down – well, as long as Ekko doesn’t reverse time! – to its arrival, you’ll want the full lowdown on Arcane‘s second season. Below, you’ll find the latest news and rumors about one of the best Netflix shows‘ final hurrah, including its trio of release dates, confirmed cast list, story synopsis, various trailers, and how it may set up future League of Legends (LoL) animated adaptations.

One last thing before you read on: major spoilers follow for Arcane season 1. Potential, albeit minor, season 2 spoilers are also on the way, so proceed with caution.

Arcane season 2 release date

Arcane season 2 will make its debut on Saturday, November 9 – just two days later than we predicted months earlier. Previously, Netflix had only confirmed Arcane 2‘s would arrive in November.

When is Arcane season 2 episode 1 coming to Netflix?

As mentioned above, Arcane season 2 episode 1 will launch on Netflix on November 9. Even better, this season’s first three episodes will be released on the same date, with that trio comprising the entirety of season 2’s first act – just like its predecessor. Act 2 and Act 3 will also comprise three episodes apiece, with those batches debuting on November 16 and November 23.

Arcane season 2 trailer

Arcane season 2’s official trailer arrived on September 6. Not only did its epic round of new footage teased all-out war between Piltover and Zaun, but it also spawned a magical new fan theory about who the series’ main villain will be. Unfortunately, it didn’t answer our prayers for a confirmed Arcane 2 release date but, thankfully, that’s since been rectified.

There are plenty more trailers and teasers to pore over before you stream season 2. Firstly, here’s its latest teaser, which is set to Stray Kids, Miko, and Tom Morello’s ‘Come Play’ track from the official season 2 soundtrack:

Missed Arcane season 2’s official trailer in mid-June, too? You can watch it below as well:

We’re not done yet, folks. In June, a brief teaser showcased potential new heroes, another possible time skip, and Vi’s new costume. That arrived five months after a first-look clip teased a fan-favorite League of Legend villain’s debut in hit Netflix show.

Three other videos have been released this year, too. One showed Heimerdinger and Ekko summon their inner Batman for an amusing stealth-based mission, while another – a suspense-filled, Jinx-starring season 2 clip – showed Vi’s sister crossing paths with Zaun’s Scrap Hackers gang. Lastly, a Geeked Week Live 2024 clip gave us our best look yet at Pit Fighter Vi and the inner demons she’ll face this season.

Arcane season 2 cast: confirmed and rumored

Caitlyn (center) and Vi (middle right) will be joined by new characters in season 2 (Image credit: Netflix)

Major spoilers follow for Arcane season 1.

Here’s the confirmed cast for Arcane season 2 so far:

Hailee Steinfeld as ViElla Purnell as JinxKatie Leung as CaitlynReed Shannon as EkkoAmirah Vann as SevikaMick Wingert as HeimerdingerEllen Thomas as AmbessaBrett Tucker as Singed

You can read our in-depth Arcane season 2 cast and character guide for more details on these individuals, which, as you’ll have noticed from the above list, doesn’t contain the names of some major season 1 characters. That’s because we don’t know which ones we’ll see again after that explosive final scene in season 1’s last episode.

For those in need of a refresher: Jinx fired a crystal rocket, which evoked her Super Mega Death Rocket ultra ability in LoL – the videogame franchise that Arcane is based on – at Piltover’s council chamber. Jayce, Mel, Viktor, Cassandra, Hoskel, Bolbok, Shoola, and Salo, were all present at the time of the attack but, with season 1 ending on a cliff hanger, we don’t know who lived and died in the explosion.

In a bid to preserve one of season 2’s biggest mysteries, Arcane‘s various trailers suggest they all perished. However, I suspect this is a misdirect and fully expect some of them to have survived, if not necessarily be fighting fit, next season.

Jinx will definitely return in season 2, but it’s unclear how many Piltover councillors she actually killed (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

Arcane season 2 will introduce us to new characters throughout its nine-episode run. We’ve already know three individuals, aka the unnamed trio of Piltover Enforcers stood alongside Caitlyn and Vi in this section’s main image, are part of proceedings, while Smeech, a Yordle chem-baron who leads the Scrap Hackers, is back in a more substantial role than last season.

As confirmed by co-creator Christian Linke in an X/Twitter fan Q&A, new LoL champions will appear, too. That includes one big-name player who, likely due to spoilers, hasn’t been officially revealed as part of the cast roster. Indeed, a gorgeous Arcane season 2 poster hinted at this fan-favorite character’s return, but don’t expect them to be a hero this time around. The identities of Arcane‘s other LoL champions are yet to be unveiled.

Arcane season 2 story synopsis and speculation

Vi’s loyalty to Jinx and Caitlin is going to be tested time and again in season 2 (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

Full spoilers follow for Arcane season 1. 

Here’s Arcane season 2’s extremely brief logline: “In this final chapter, Jinx’s attack on the Council sets the stage for a dire escalation of the conflict between Piltover and Zaun.”

Fine, keep your secrets, Riot, Netflix, and Fortiche – but at least it seems like it’ll be even more emotional than its forebear. Speaking exclusively to TechRadar in April, Ella Purnell – who voices Jinx – revealed that she “cried” during an ADR (automated dialog replacement) session for this season’s finale. In short: have a box of tissues at the ready.

Tiny story brief notwithstanding, what do we know about Arcane season 2’s plot? For one, I need to know who survived the Piltover council chamber attack. If I had to guess, Jayce, Viktor, and one of Cassandra and Mel (Jayce’s partner and Ambessa’s daughter) will survive, but the rest will have perished. Jayce and Viktor are too important to kill off, while Cassandra and/or Mel’s deaths will surely be the catalyst for the Piltover-Zaun war if Caitlyn and/or Ambessa get their way. On Reddit, fans are convinced Cassandra has died, with some suggesting an animation frame from season 2 – glimpsed in Bridging the Rift episode 3 (more on this later) – might have revealed as much. It isn’t a scene I recognize from season 1, so I’m convinced my fellow fans are right in their assumptions.

If Mel and Cassandra (at the very least) die, Piltover’s remaining leaders – with the aid of Noxus, aka the fearsome and expansion-driven empire led by Ambessa – will walk back on Jayce’s promise to give Zaun its independence as well. After all, Jinx – a Zaun citizen – carried out the attack, so a full-blown war between the so-called City of Progress (Piltover) and its poorer undercity cousin (Zaun) is inevitable. Tensions were already simmering between the states before Jinx’s reckless act, so a prolonged and brutal conflict is on the cards. During a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, Linke summed up this season’s overarching narrative with the word “war”, so prepare yourself for some bloody and brutal action.

Expect Sevika to properly join forces with Jinx in season 2 (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

Additionally, Yee teased (via Netflix Queue) how the battle lines have already been drawn heading into the next chapter, saying: “We ended season 1 by really pushing a lot of the characters in the show as far as we could from each other. Figuring out how to deal with this puzzle, where all the pieces have now been split up and tossed to the four winds, is going to be the main thrust of season 2.”

Caitlyn’s quest for vengeance will likely put her at odds with Vi at some stage, too. The pair grew increasingly close throughout season 1’s second and third acts, with many observing that a romance was developing between them. With Vi likely feeling some level of responsibility for Jinx’s council chamber attack, she’ll want to find her sister as much as Caitlyn does – she’s successful in doing so, too, as we see Vi and Jinx fighting in Jinx’s lair. Linke has also revealed (in the X/Twitter Q&A I linked to in this guide’s cast section) Vi will be part of Caitlyn’s strike team to track her down.

However, Jinx is still Vi’s younger sister, so the latter’s loyalties will be split in season 2. Indeed, she can either help Caitlyn bring her sibling to justice, or try to keep Jinx safe from harm at the cost of the alliances she’s forged. With Vi going underground and disguising herself as a emo-style, biker-inspired bruiser – fans are calling this iteration of the character ‘Pit Fighter Vi’ – at some stage this season, we expect things to sour between Caitlyn and Vi, which leads to a temporary breakdown in their friendship.

Jinx isn’t the only thing that could divide Caitlyn and Vi. Responding to a fan on X/Twitter (see below) about whether Caitlyn knows Vi and her gang blew up Jayce’s lab in season 1’s opening act, Arcane scriptwriter Amanda Overton revealed that wasn’t the case. Will Caitlyn learn the truth in season 2? Place your bets now.

That all said, don’t count against Vi and Caitlyn eventually reuniting and/or developing a stronger relationship this season. Speaking at the 2022 BAFTAs (per The Digital Fix), co-creator Alex Yee said fans “will be happy” with the progression of their bond, adding: “The way in which we wanted to roll that story out has always been sort of determined. What you will see in season 2 will be part of the big picture that we’ve had all along.”

Elsewhere, Heimerdinger and Ekko will continue to collaborate to help Zaun’s population. After the former was voted off Piltover’s council in episode 7, he encountered an injured Ekko (following Ekko’s battle with Jinx) in episode 8. The pair bonded over their shared affinity of technology and, after Heimerdinger helps Ekko to return home, they decide to unite to try and ease Zaun’s suffering.

Caitlyn will be gunning for Jinx in season 2 (Image credit: Netflix)

We’ll surely see Viktor fully loses himself completely to his Hexcore research – you know, providing he returns in season 2, which hasn’t been announced yet. Thanks to his studies, he inadvertently murdered his protégé Sky and, based on the latter parts of his season 1 character arc, it appears he’ll walk a darker path this season. If we know anything about LoL lore, we could see Viktor use Hexcore to cybernetically enhance his body further and become the champion that diehard fans know him to be.

As for Hextech and Hexcore’s wider involvement in season 2, Linke teased (again, via his X/Twitter fan Q&A) that Noxus may want to acquire Hextech for their own nefarious needs. That’s on top of the various references we get to the magic-infused technology throughout the trailers, with other characters seemingly being augmented by the Hexcore as an unsettling voice says “the Arcane is waking up”, which implies something sinister is going to happen.

There could be room for some flashback sequences involving deceased characters, too. Responding to a Reddit fan’s question about whether we’ll see Silco and Vander’s friendship pre-betrayal, Linke said “you will“. Elaborating on what we can expect from various characters’ journeys next time out, Linke also told the Academy of Interactive Arts and Science’s YouTube channel: “Season 2 was always this thing that made us think ‘let’s take them further and explore the corner of their psyche and identities we haven’t seen’. The challenge was to go to places where they’ve never been to. I’m excited about what we’re doing in that regard. I also hope it makes every League [of Legends] player proud and every animation or fantasy nerd excited about our characters.”

Here’s hoping Ekko has a bigger role in season 2 than its forebear (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

Meanwhile, expect Arcane to lean more heavily into LoL lore – Linke teasing (via the X/Twitter fan Q&A once more) that the story is “somewhat connected” to LoL’s Rune Wars, a historical conflict that saw Runterra’s mortals battle for supremacy using its World Runes.

For anyone wanting to learn more about this season’s official soundtrack, its full track list, plus the artists involved in its creation, has been revealed – you can read more via my Arcane season 2 soundtrack article. Oh, and be sure to read another piece of mine that looks at eight big questions I need Arcane season 2 to answer before the animated show ends.

Lastly, Afterglow, a new after show hosted by Vi and Jinx voice actors Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell, will also lift the lid on season 2’s development, narratives, and more after each act is released. So, there’ll be plenty more Arcane content to enjoy between season 2’s three acts.

Where to watch Arcane season 1 and Bridging the Rift YouTube series

Bridging the Rift details Arcane season 1’s protracted development (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

To tide fans over until Arcane season 2, Riot Games released a YouTube series – Bridging the Rift – in late 2022 that explores the first season’s lengthy development:

Episode 1 – I Only Dream In RiskyEpisode 2 – Persistence (Or When Your Best Still Sucks)Episode 3 – Killstreaks Meets KeyframesEpisode 4 – Musical MisfitsEpisode 5 – We Gave It Our Best Shot

Want to stream or re-watch season 1 before its sequel arrives? You can do so on Netflix. Alternatively, you can grab one of four Arcane season 1 physical boxsets – the Standard Blu-ray, Steel Book Blu-ray, Steel Book 4K UHD, and Collector’s Edition – and/or a vinyl copy of Arcane season 1’s soundtrack, which are all available to buy online via Amazon and other online retailers.

Additionally, an official ‘Making of’ book will released later this year. It’s officially titled ‘The Art and Making of Arcane’ and, per Riot, features “never-before seen artwork from seasons 1 and 2, interviews with the creators, and unique collectibles”. Pre-orders are open now for three different editions – Artifact, Portfolio, and Standard, which come with different extras – ahead of their release on December 31.

Why is Arcane season 2 going to be the hit show’s last chapter?

In June, Arcane season 2 was confirmed to be the show’s final installment. Explaining why (see the X/Twitter video above), Linke said: “From the very beginning… we had a very specific ending in mind, which means the story of Arcane wraps up with this second season.”

Disappointing as that is, Riot, Netflix, and Fortiche aren’t done with their animated LoL adaptations. Linke continued: “But, Arcane is just the first of many stories that we want to tell in Runeterra. Arcane is just the beginning of our larger storytelling journey and partnership with the wonderful animation studio that is Fortiche.

“Vi and Jinx’s arcs have grown so far beyond our original dreams for them, so we wanted to give the same treatment to more [LoL] champions. We’re currently working on our next projects across television and film, and we’re hopeful we can share more by the end of the year. We’re still really early in the stages of that process, and these things do take a lot of time, but we’d like to share updates with you whenever we can.”

Arcane season 2 is just the beginning of Riot and Netflix’s plans for their League of Legends adaptations (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

Really, we should’ve seen this coming. In Bridging the Rift episode 5, Riot Games co-founder Brandon Beck confirmed the show’s creative team wanted to explore more of Runeterra (the fictional world Arcane and LoL are set in) and introduce new LoL heroes to a wider audience. Many fans took this to mean Vi and Jinx’s story will end – and that’s proven to be the case.

Sad though we are that Arcane is ending, there are plenty of other stories to tell and new characters to fall in love with. If any of its follow-up projects are half as good as Arcane is (if not better), we can’t wait to see what’s being cooked up.

For more Netflix-based content, check out our best Netflix movies and best Netflix documentaries guides. Alternatively, read our hubs on Squid Game season 2 and Stranger Things season 5.