Riot’s League of Legends animated TV series Arcane has completed its run with a largely satisfying conclusion. The series has particularly been praised for its representation of the queer relationship between two main characters, Vi and Caitlyn, and it turns out there are a few video games that helped inspire their dynamic.

Arcane is a story set in the League of Legends world of Runeterra, with the series focused on the regions of Piltover and Zaun and the champions who live there. Two of these characters are Vi, a highly-skilled fighter from the undercity, and Caitlyn, a proficient Piltover sniper and enforcer. The two start their journey in Season 1 as unlikely allies, who work together to get to the heart of Silco’s operation in Zaun and to find Vi’s sister Jinx. In Season 2, their relationship evolves as they initially come together to track down Jinx, only to be divided when Caitlyn’s need for vengeance goes too far. The couple eventually reconciles by the end of Arcane.

Arcane Writer Shares the Video Games that Helped Shape Caitlyn and Vi’s Story

Amanda Overton, a writer on both seasons of Arcane, spoke to The Gamer about developing Caitlyn and Vi’s relationship. The pair are known to be partners in League of Legends, but Arcane went further and cemented their relationship as a romantic one. Overton revealed that the plan was always for Caitlyn and Vi to “be our OTP [official true pairing] couple for the entire series.” The writer added that queer relationships and strong women in video games over the years inspired some of the elements of Cait and Vi’s relationship, in particular, Tomb Raider, Mass Effect, and The Last of Us: Left Behind.

“Tomb Raider was probably the first where I was like, ‘a girl who is a hero with guns who can solve puzzles!’, but she was overly sexualised for the male gaze and all of that at the time. And getting to play Mass Effect and create your own adventure and have that queer relationship with Liara if you choose, that was such an unlocking experience for me. I adored Mass Effect for that reason; for the complicated world, the scope, and just for the characters. You cared so much about all the characters in that game. And then, of course, I sobbed my way through [The Last of Us] Left Behind.”

The Last of Us DLC Had a Big Impact on Arcane

The Last of Us: Left Behind was a particularly impactful relationship that lit a fire in Overton which eventually came to fruition in Arcane. “I was like, ‘Yes, this is what we need more of! I’m gonna do it!’ and when I got the opportunity on Arcane to tell that story I’ve always wanted to tell, it was such an honor and a huge responsibility,” Overton said. The writer had the support of the creative team, including creators Alex Yee and Christian Linke, to take Caitlyn and Vi in this romantic direction, which also stemmed from a desire from Overton to implement more queer representation in pop culture areas. “I love video games. I love big sci-fi and world-building shows, but I so rarely saw myself in those spaces,” Overton said.

Despite concerns over queerbaiting in Season 1 of Arcane, Vi and Caitlyn’s relationship was embraced by fans. The series ultimately gave the pair time to flourish in the second season and left their relationship in a good place.

Arcane: League of Legends is streaming on Netflix.