Arcane’s Showrunner Addresses Season 2 Pacing Concerns: Striving for the Ideal Story Balance

Many fans felt the pace of Arcane’s second season, particularly in the final act, was a bit rushed. Showrunner Christian Linke recently shared his thoughts on these criticisms.

Arcane is visually stunning, but there’s no denying that the storyline seemed somewhat scattered in this latest season. With so many threads woven throughout, it seemed like another season was necessary to fully develop them. In an interview with GamesRadar, Linke addressed the pacing concerns: “When people watch season 1, there’s an aspect to the pacing… season 2 is a bit different in that regard,” he explained.

“I respect that people express that opinion,” Linke continued. “The vast majority of the audience seems satisfied, but there are voices saying ‘It’s rushed. What’s going on?’” As GamesRadar highlighted, a big draw of the first season was watching character relationships evolve gradually. However, this time around, many of those relationships seemed hurried, racing toward a conclusion. Linke acknowledged this shift: “We structured season 2 differently because we wanted to take creative risks.”

“It seems like most people liked that approach,” Linke said. “But I understand some viewers were hoping for more of what season 1 offered and feel let down. I’m not pleased that they feel that way, but I respect their opinions.” Another challenge was accommodating the rich tapestry of characters from the League of Legends universe, some of whom didn’t get screen time. Linke recognized this, noting the conflicting feedback from fans.

“There are people who say it’s too rushed, too much going on. But then there’s the other side: ‘Where’s Camille? Where’s Blitzcrank? Where’s Twitch? Why didn’t you include them?’” Linke reflected. “It’s a tricky balance. We’re striving to include just the right amount of story.”

Honestly, I believe Arcane could have benefited from at least another season, but given the cost of producing both seasons, the rush to wrap things up is understandable. Plus, with Riot planning more multimedia projects, it seems like they were eager to tie this up for now.