Why Isn’t ‘Arcane’ Getting a Season 3? All About the ‘League of Legends’ Series’ Final Season and What Spinoffs Are Coming Next

Warning: Arcane season 2 spoilers ahead!

Netflix’s Arcane, starring Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell, ended with season 2 on an intense note — and fans weren’t ready to say goodbye.

Viewers waited three years between Arcane season 1 and season 2, only to learn that the series would not be renewed for a third installment.

“From the very beginning, since we started working on this project, we had a very specific ending in mind, which means the story of Arcane wraps up with this second season,” co-creator Christian Linke said in a June 2024 statement, per Variety. “But Arcane is just the first of many stories that we want to tell.”

Arcane is based on the popular online game League of Legends, which was released by Riot Games in 2009. The Emmy Award-winning adaptation of the beloved game follows sisters Vi (voiced by Steinfeld) and Jinx (voiced by Purnell) as they find themselves on rival sides of a war between the utopian city Piltover and the undercity district Zaun. 

So why is Arcane ending? Here’s everything to know about the Netflix series’ final episodes — and what’s next for the League of Legends universe.

How did Arcane season 2 end? 

Season 2 of Arcane, which consisted of nine episodes, ended with some major cliffhangers. Vi and Jinx reconcile and fight side-by-side against their father Vander (JB Blanc). In order to save her sister, Jinx sacrifices herself and seemingly dies in a grenade explosion. However, in later scenes, Caitlyn (Katie Leung) suggests that she might have escaped.

Meanwhile, Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) convinces Viktor (Harry Lloyd) to free all the people whom he has been controlling with his mind, and they both sacrifice themselves in the process. This effectively ends the battle led by Viktor and the empire Noxus against the citizens of Piltover and Zaun. The two societies are finally united and Sevika (Amirah Vann) is appointed a new council member.

Additionally, after a season of ups and downs, Vi and Caitlyn appear to get their happy ending as a couple.

Why won’t Arcane have a season 3? 

While fans were disappointed to see Arcane end so quickly, Linke and his co-creator Alex Yee made the thoughtful decision to carry out their initial vision despite the show’s success.

“We always had a specific story in mind,” Linke told CinemaBlend in November 2024. “Look, you could have stretched it, I’m sure … [but] we’ve all seen the TV shows, where clearly the writers are running out of juice.”

He continued, “It’s been nine years for us, with these characters. I think there’s a responsibility aspect to this, where we’re like, this is what we had in mind.”

However, Linke was “somewhat anxious” to hear fan feedback about the series finale.

“I don’t know how many TV shows you’ve watched that had an ending that everyone is satisfied with. The list is not very long, so it is intimidating,” he said to GamesRadar+, adding, “I’m really proud of what we did with the last act.”

What has the cast said about Arcane ending with season 2? 

Similar to many Arcane fans, Purnell is sad to leave the show, and her character, behind.

“I’m going to miss Jinx,” she said at MCM Comic-Con, per The Daily Express. While she agreed that the series was short-lived, Purnell said she’d “much rather end when it’s time than make another season and disappoint fans.”

Meanwhile, Harry Lloyd, who voiced Viktor, shared on Instagram that he was having Arcane “withdrawal issues” following the show’s finale.

What is next for the League of Legends universe? 

The Arcane creators have big plans for the League of Legends universe: “Arcane was always considered the first step,” Linke told Collider in November 2024.

The same month, the co-writer spoke with Twitch streamer Necrit94 and revealed that he and Yee have three new storylines in the works.

“Noxus, Ionia and Demacia are getting shows and are [the] next steps into this cinematic universe. We’re far from done, we’re going wide, we’re looking at every region, and we now have the ability to build a slate to tell new stories and continue others,” he said. “[The] next series [has been] in development for about a year.”

While it sounds like another show could be coming soon, viewers waited three years for Arcane season 2 to reach their screens, mostly due to time-consuming animation work.

“One animator can produce up to, like, four seconds of animation per week. There are 24 frames every second, and every frame is hand-animated,” Linke explained to Collider. “That’s why it takes so long and why no one’s ever really done this. It’s a massive effort, with hundreds of people working one season.”