An animated series made by video game company Riot Games has become the highest rated Netflix show of all time – knocking Squid Game off the top spot.
Arcane, based on the video game League of Legends, has a 98/100 score on IMDB – the highest for any Netflix original – and is also the most watched show of all-time on the streaming service within three days of its release
While many British viewers won’t be aware of it, the show, which is about two orphaned sisters fighting civil unrest in the fictional cities of Piltover and Zaun, debuted at number one on the Netflix charts in 37 countries.
Starring Hailee Steinfeld as the lead, it has an almost-unknown 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 98 score on Metacritic – and has entered the overall Netflix top 10 list at number 9.
But it’s not just an cult-hit with gaming fans. Many business savvy stars have also seen the potential of the show, with Rihanna launching a Fenty Beauty x Arcane partnership.
An animated series made by video game company Riot Games has become the highest rated Netflix show of all time – knocking Squid Game off the top spot. Pictured Ella Purnell as Jinx in the show
Many business savvy stars have also seen the potential of the show, with Rihanna launching a Fenty Beauty x Arcane partnership
Starring Hailee Steinfeld (pictured at the premier) as the lead, it has an almost-unknown 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 98 score on Metacritic – and has entered the overall Netflix top 10 list at number 9.
The beauty brand has said they will ‘curate beauty looks across Riot Games and content, aiming to highlight the multifaceted and diverse beauty landscape that celebrates beauty in all of its forms — including animation’.
And Rihanna isn’t the only A-lister on board. The soundtrack also features original songs from the likes of Sting, while the theme tune Enemy by Imagine Dragons and rapper JID has already been streamed more than 31 million times of Spotify.
Like many Netflix shows, the story has plenty of sex and gore. The opening scene features an explosion which kills the protagonists parents – while the ongoing war shows dozens of fight scenes and human experiments.
Based on the universe of PC game League of Legends – the most played game in the world – Arcane dives into the delicate balance between the rich city of Piltover and the seedy underbelly of Zaun.
Tensions between these city-states boil over with the creation of hextech — a way for any person to control magical energy – in Piltover; and in Zaun, a new drug called shimmer transforms humans into monsters.
The rivalry between the cities splits families and friends as Arcane brings life to the relationships that shape some of League of Legends’ famous champions including Vi, Jinx, Caitlyn, Jayce and Viktor.
From left: Toks Olagundoye, JB Blanc, Kevin Alejandro, Ella Purnell, Hailee Steinfeld, Mia Sinclair Jenness, Jason Spisak, Christian Linke, Harry Lloyd, and Alex Yee attend the premiere of ‘Arcane World’ at Riot Games in LA earlier this month
Like many Netflix shows, the story has plenty of sex and gore. The opening scene features an explosion which kills the protagonists parents – while the ongoing war shows dozens of fight scenes and human experiments. Hailee Steinfield as VI
Based on the universe of PC game League of Legends – the most played game in the world – Arcane dives into the delicate balance between the rich city of Piltover and the seedy underbelly of Zaun.
The animated event series features a complex world filled with moral decisions, breath-taking animation and suspenseful storytelling.
The show has also been watched 130million times in China -where it airs on Tencent – as Netflix is banned. It’s also become the most searched show on the site.
Fans of the video game might be less surprised at the show’s success. Last month, more than four million people watched the League of Legends World Championship final, that’s excluding Chinese audiences where the game was shown on huge screens to massive crowds in public places.
Since the debut of the Arcane, critics and fans alike have praised the show.
Tensions between these city-states boil over with the creation of hextech — a way for any person to control magical energy – in Piltover; and in Zaun, a new drug called shimmer transforms humans into monsters. Kevin Alejandro as Jayce, Katie Leung as Caitlyn Kiramman in Arcane
Fred Tatasciore as Master Crafter, Toks Olagundoye as Mel, Erica Lindbeck as Elora in Arcane
Kotaku described the show as ‘the best on Netflix’ while PC Gamer called it ‘amazing’ writing: ‘There’s epic fight scenes, chemical mutations, and reality-tearing magic, but, unlike a lot of superhero flicks, there’s also a humanness to Arcane that makes it especially gripping.’.
Meanwhile fans have taken to reddit to praise the show, with one writing: ‘Arcane went beyond my wildest dreams of what to expect from the first real feature-length cinematic experience. I knew it was going to be good, but this is truly ground-breaking.’
Development on the newly-released series was initially revealed this past May.
The show serves as an origin story for two characters from the multiplayer online battle arena game – with fans hoping it’s just the start of a League of Legend Cinematic Universe.
The soundtrack also features original songs from the likes of Sting (pictured) while the theme tune Enemy by Imagine Dragons and rapper JID has already been streamed more than 31 million times of Spotify.
This marks the first time that League of Legends’ developer, Riot Games, has made a foray into television.
The series features performances from performers such as Ella Purnell, Kevin Alejandro and Katie Leung.
Riot Games’ Global President of Entertainment, Shauna Spenley, also pointed out that the series was developed in order to expand on the story behind the game.
‘Arcane was created as a love letter to our players and fans, who have been asking us for more cinematic experiences that dive deeper into the worlds and champions in League of Legends.’
She added: ‘Netflix, with its incredible global brand and shared goal of delivering premium, high quality content, is the perfect partner to help us bring Arcane to players around the globe.’