Feature

The creative team behind smash-hit Netflix series Arcane reveal how they pushed the show’s animation even further for the second season…

Words by Dominic Carter

DREAM TEAM Pascal and Alexis feel lucky to have worked with loyal artists at Fortiche across both seasons of Arcane.

The expectations were high for the second season of Arcane. The series, which is set in Riot Games’ hugely popular League of Legends universe, was an instant hit with fans of the franchise and new viewers alike when it was first released on Netflix in 2021. To give audiences the pay off they deserved, the creative team wanted to take every aspect of the show to the next level for its follow up.

The success of Arcane can be put down to its gripping plot, engaging characters and stunning visuals. This is also true for the second season, which first aired in November of last year and topped the Netflix charts in over 60 countries. The result of eight years of production work, Seasons One and Two were produced almost in one continuous cycle, with work on Season Two starting before the first had even been broadcast.

JOURNEY OF GROWTH By working together closely across both seasons, the animation teams have grown consistently and pushed their own creative boundaries.

French animation studio Fortiche was there from the very beginning of the journey, and its ever-expanding number of talented, dedicated artists are the ones to thank for bringing Arcane to life so beautifully. Having grown together and pushed creative boundaries higher throughout the production process, they were determined to carry that momentum forwards into Season Two.

“For the second season, we wanted to elevate Arcane’s visuals even further while staying true to the elements that captivated audiences in Season One,” says director and Fortiche co-founder Pascal Charrue. “Riot gave us significant creative freedom, allowing us to collaborate with extraordinary artists.”

This decision includes the watercolour sequence found in Episode Six, which was created in partnership with Éléa GobbéMévellec, the acclaimed director of The Swallows of Kabul.