Arcane season 2 is in full swing, and since rumors circulated that the League of Legends spin off show cost $250 million, that’s all some people can talk about. While the number hasn’t been explicitly confirmed by the showrunners, Christian Linke has shared some thoughts on it.
Speaking to Animation Magazine, Linke says, “We were also just really lucky that we were able to have a higher budget for an animated series, because we were an IP [intellectual property] by Riot. We were able to really put art first. You don’t often get that opportunity.”
It’s a lot of money to spend on any one show, but “That number does include marketing costs associated with the release, which is not part of the budget of Arcane,” Linke told us earlier this month. He also adds that “If you compare us to animated movies, we are dirt cheap.”
Another justification for the high price tag was the desire to make something incredibly high quality. “I think no one has ever made a great thing by not taking bets,” Linke says to Animation Magazine. “I think it’s just if you have the right team, you will have the quality and it’ll be great, but you need to take bets. And I think we just were really, based on the work that the people had done that’s so wonderful on Season 1, we knew that we wanted see, ‘Hey, what would you do with more, if you can have your voice amplified and louder?’ I think it’s sometimes really just genuine desire to see what would that person do if given the power.”
The bets have paid off, as most people seem to love Arcane, League of Legends fans and newcomers alike.
If you can’t wait for your next batch of Vi and Jinx tales, check out our Arcane season 2 release schedule.