‘Arcane’ Co-Creator Christian Linke Responds to Backlash Over Controversial Season 2 Moments
The second season of ‘Arcane’ hit Netflix in November 2024, and it’s been a wild ride for viewers. Based on the massive game ‘League of Legends’, this animated series has built a huge following since its first season dropped in 2021. That debut won over critics and fans alike, even snagging a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. Naturally, expectations were sky-high for season two. But when it finally arrived, split into three parts with the last batch landing on November 23, not everyone was cheering.
Some big moments in the finale stirred up trouble. Character deaths, pacing issues, and unexpected twists left parts of the audience upset. We’re talking about folks taking to social media to vent their frustration over how certain storylines wrapped up—or didn’t. The deaths, in particular, hit hard. I won’t spoil who didn’t make it, but let’s just say the way they went out caught a lot of people off guard. It wasn’t the fact that characters died—death’s no stranger in this world—but how it all played out that sparked the backlash.
Christian Linke, one of the co-creators behind ‘Arcane’, didn’t stay quiet about it. He’s been open about hearing the complaints. In his view which he shared with Dexerto, every major beat in the season, deaths included, ties back to the choices the characters made. He’s not brushing off the criticism, though. Linke has said he’s listening closely to what we’re saying, trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t for whatever comes next. It’s a tricky spot—making a show this big means you can’t please everyone, and he knows it.
The season itself took some bold swings. Unlike the slower build of season one, this time the team cranked up the pace and threw in new elements like time travel and a shadowy group called the Black Rose. Add in the ongoing saga of sisters Vi and Jinx, voiced by Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell, and the tech-driven dreams of Jayce and Viktor, and you’ve got a lot packed into nine episodes. Some loved the ambition, but others felt it rushed things, leaving character arcs dangling.
Linke has admitted the team faced limits. Budget and time were tight, even with Riot Games pouring serious cash into the project—rumored to be around $250 million across both seasons. That’s a jaw-dropping number for an animated show, but it still wasn’t enough to stretch every idea as far as they wanted. The finale episode, for example, started out over an hour long before getting trimmed down. It’s a human effort, he’s pointed out, and one that took years to pull off without a break.
‘Arcane’ isn’t done leaving its mark, either. While this chapter closed, the world of ‘League of Legends’ is too big to stay quiet. Linke and the crew are already hinting at more stories, with plans to explore places like Noxus, Ionia, and Demacia down the line. For now, season two’s mix of stunning animation and tough choices has kept us talking—whether we’re praising it or picking it apart. Linke’s response shows he’s not dodging the heat, but he’s also standing by the risks they took to make it their own.