Both Seasons of ‘Arcane’ Cost $250M Overall to Make & That Makes It the Most Expensive Animated Series of All Time

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As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that “Arcane” has been a game-changer in the world of animated series. It’s not every day that we see a show from a gaming company like Riot Games, known for their League of Legends franchise, making waves on the global stage.

In addition to bagging four Emmy Awards in 2022, among them for the category of Best Animated Program, “Arcane” claimed the number one spot as the most-watched TV series in a total of 85 countries on Netflix.

Despite initially planning for a five-season run, it’s been announced that this second season will mark the end of the series. Notably, it’s the sole television or film production from Riot Games, the company known for “Arcane.” Approximately half a decade ago, based in Los Angeles, Riot embarked on an endeavor to explore scripted entertainment.

Riot Games, famous for their “League of Legends” series, have hired executives with experience in mainstream media to establish a new entertainment sector within the company. Their goal is to create live-action and animated television shows and films using ideas originating from Riot’s creative works.

Previously, CEO Nicolo Laurent articulated a clear vision for the company, going so far as to label it “the entertainment powerhouse of the 21st century” during an interview.

Although I’ve got some grand ambitions under my belt, it seems Riot Games hasn’t yet unveiled much beyond “Arcane,” a series rumored to have set them back around $250 million for 18 episodes – making it the priciest animated production on any streaming or television platform. Insiders close to the company suggest that Riot’s relatively inexperienced hand in entertainment production could be the reason behind these hefty costs and unmet objectives.

Indeed, Marc Merrill, co-founder and head of product development at Riot, affirmed their dedication towards creating top-notch films and television series. However, he also acknowledged that they’ve encountered a steep learning process in the process.

Merrill stated that our objectives for entertainment have stayed consistent. We didn’t intend to function like a standard studio, but as we gained more insights, we discovered that achieving success requires more time than anticipated. Therefore, we’ve made necessary adjustments to our goals and teams accordingly.

When questioned regarding the $250 million cost, Merrill did not explicitly verify the figure, instead stating, “We are satisfied with the amount we invested in producing a show that deserves the time of our players.

Even though it faced challenges within Hollywood, Riot Games has remained a dominant force in the gaming world since the release of “League of Legends” in 2009. This free-to-play online multiplayer PC game boasts an impressive global following of 180 million monthly players (across related spinoffs).

As I dive into another round of “League,” it’s free to play, but the real cash cow for Riot Games was the sale of those flashy virtual items, or skins, that I love customizing my characters with – a strategy that’s becoming standard in live-service games, netting them an estimated $3 billion last year.

Apart from gaming, Riot has ventured into esports and music, expanding from its extensive headquarters in Santa Monica that spans multiple structures. Previously, Riot was one of the major office tenants in Los Angeles, with buildings displaying its emblem – a closed fist – along Olympic Boulevard.

Back in 2016, it was I who found myself as part of Riot’s player support team, alongside Alex Yee, who had no prior experience in production. Yet, one day, we were granted the unique opportunity by Riot to develop a pilot for a project. This exciting endeavor brought us together with Fortiche, an animation studio based in Paris, known for their collaboration with Riot on music videos and various short projects.

Reports indicate that the initial nine 40-minute episodes of “Arcane” were produced at a cost exceeding $80 million, while the second batch of nine episodes is expected to come close to $100 million. Insiders claim these high costs stemmed from an intricate production process and hold-ups due to late script submissions, resulting in additional expenditures as the production had already begun with only parts of the season complete.

It was Riot’s promotional budget for the debut season of “Arcane” that really caught people’s attention – a whopping $60 million, far beyond what is usually spent on a show not owned by the distributing company and way above Netflix’s expenditure. Although the promotional costs for the second season haven’t been confirmed yet, it’s expected they will be less.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve always admired companies like Riot Games, which rake in billions from virtual goods with narrow profit margins. Yet, these profits didn’t deter Riot from venturing into Hollywood, a move that left many questioning their strategy. Inspired by the phenomenal success of “Arcane”, our former CEO, Nicolo Laurent, saw this step as a means to elevate Riot’s worth and broaden its brand identity. It was reminiscent of how Riot successfully transformed “League” into an esport phenomenon, demonstrating their knack for diversification.

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2024-11-07 02:17