Arcane writer Amanda Overton has revealed how the Netflix series was able to deviate from established League of Legends lore and how much freedom they had. Throughout the series, many characters in Arcane were altered from their in-game counterparts, such as Viktor (Harry Lloyd) being connected to magic more than machines, like his original rendition. The story also wasn’t afraid to kill anyone off, with a good chunk of familiar champions dying during the final three episodes of the series. This begs the question as to how much freedom the show had regarding established characters.

Speaking with GamesRadar, Overton revealed Riot Games gave the creators of Arcane complete freedom in developing the League of Legends TV show. This included being able to kill off any champions they wanted in service of the story, alongside changing elements of the lore to better fit the narrative. The writer said the level of freedom allowed them to plan far in advance, such as the last moment between Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell) being plotted six years in advance. Check out what Overton had to say below:

Riot embraced whatever story we wanted to tell with any of the characters. We were like ‘Can we kill Jayce and Viktor?’ ‘Yes’. There were no limits to what we could do to make a good story, which was, in my opinion, absolutely the right choice for them to do, because we are adapting a game into a different medium, into television, and you want to be able to be free to make that version the best it can possibly be.

That support from [Riot’s] side really allowed us to make characters like this – complicated, interesting, dark, vulnerable – that had fates that we needed to decide what would be the most satisfying for the show, and not worry about what may or may not be interesting for a different medium. That Vi-Jinx scene, the very last scene between them, is nearly the same as when we wrote it six years ago.

What Overton’s Explanation Says About League Of Legends’ TV Universe

The Same Level Of Freedom Can Be Given To Future Shows

Arcane season 2 character deaths included plenty of familiar champions, those being Heimerdinger (Mick Wingert) Ambessa (Ellen Thomas), Viktor, Jayce (Kevin Alejandro), Vander (JB Blanc), and Jinx. While Vi’s sister is hinted to be alive at the very end, the many champions who die constitute around half the main cast. This is especially bold because all of them are still playable in League of Legends, beloved by fans of the franchise for over a decade. However, killing them still served the story being told throughout the series.

Overton’s statement also indicates this same level of freedom will stretch to the follow-up shows in production. While Arcane season 3 isn’t happening, projects featuring Noxus, Ionia, and Demacia have been confirmed, each exploring the champions associated with their regions. Given the high level of freedom the series creators had with the first show, it seems more champion deaths could be on the horizon depending on how the follow-up installments play out. This could also result in adjustments to League of Legends lore, which has already happened with the first series.

Our Take On Arcane’s Freedom To Adapt League Of Legends Onscreen

A Perfect Balance of Game References & Original Storytelling

Custom image by Nick Bythrow

Thanks to the freedom Arcane had in changing League of Legends‘ lore, the show was able to prioritize its own story instead of adhering to expectations from Riot Games. This allowed the story to flow more naturally, even while making controversial decisions like killing off well-known game characters. Not only did it make the show unpredictable, but that same level of deviation means more changes to come, potentially altering other elements of the games’ established worldbuilding.