If you binged every episode of Arcane twice and found yourself scrolling through gaming forums wondering if you should give League of Legends a try, you’ve almost certainly asked is arcane related to league of legends. You’re not alone – millions of people discovered the gritty, heartfelt world of Piltover and Zaun through the animated series first, and had no idea it was tied to one of the world’s most popular multiplayer games. I’ve been playing LoL for 8 years, and I still get friends texting me mid-episode asking if Vi is actually a playable champion, or if the Hextech stuff works the same way in the game. This guide breaks down exactly how the two connect, what parts are canon, and what you can expect if you jump from the show to the rift.
Is Arcane Related to League of Legends? The Short, Official Answer
Yes, Arcane is 100% tied to League of Legends, created and produced entirely by Riot Games, the studio that developed LoL. The show is set in Runeterra, the same fantasy universe that all League of Legends content is based on, and focuses on the two iconic regions of Piltover and Zaun that have been part of LoL lore since the game launched in 2009. Every core character in the show is a playable champion in the game, from Vi and Jinx to Jayce, Viktor, and Ekko.
Riot developed Arcane to appeal to both long-time LoL fans and people who have never touched a video game in their life, so they made sure the story stands on its own even if you don’t know anything about the game. That said, there are hundreds of small Easter eggs and references to the game that only players will catch on a rewatch. Arcane is not a loose adaptation – it’s official, canonical League of Legends lore that overrides older, less detailed stories Riot released before the show came out.
Key Canon Connections Between Arcane and League of Legends
The links between Arcane and LoL go far beyond just shared character names. Almost every part of the show ties directly to in-game content, from character abilities to map locations and even item descriptions. Riot intentionally wove these connections in so that fans of the show would have familiar ground to stand on if they decided to try the game.
Every champion featured in Arcane has abilities that reference events from the show, and most of their core personality traits and motivations are exactly the same across both mediums. Some of the most clear connections include:
- Vi’s ultimate ability, Assault and Battery, shows her charging an enemy and punching them with full force, a move she first tests on a Zaunite gang leader in season 1 of Arcane
- Jinx’s in-game passive ability, Get Excited!, makes her move faster after getting a kill or assist, a nod to her hyperactive, adrenaline-fueled personality shown throughout the show
- Ekko’s Z-Drive device, which lets him rewind time for a few seconds, is the exact tool he builds as a teen in Arcane, and is the core of his in-game ultimate ability Chronobreak
- Heimerdinger’s long lifespan and distrust of untested Hextech aligns perfectly with his 300+ year old lore in League of Legends, where he’s seen as the founder of Piltover’s scientific community
You don’t have to have watched Arcane to play any of these champions, but you’ll catch so many small, fun details if you have. Even little throwaway moments from the show, like Vi’s love of greasy street food from Zaun, are referenced in champion voice lines when you play the game.
What Parts of Arcane Are Different From League of Legends Lore?
No adaptation is 100% identical to its source material, and Arcane made a few small changes to existing LoL lore to make the story flow better for non-gaming viewers. Most of these changes are related to timeline adjustments, like condensing the development of Hextech from 20 years to just a few to keep the story pacing tight. The biggest change Riot made was establishing that Vi and Jinx are biological sisters, a plot point that didn’t exist in older LoL lore before Arcane launched.
I even saw a few fans argue online about the timeline changes when season 1 dropped, but Riot clarified that Arcane is now the official base for all Piltover and Zaun lore going forward, so all older conflicting stories are considered non-canon now. All changes made for Arcane have been adopted as official League of Legends canon, so you don’t have to worry about conflicting lore if you’re new to the franchise.
Some character relationships were also adjusted to give more screen time to fan favorites. For example, Caitlyn and Vi’s partnership is a much bigger part of Arcane than it was in older lore, but that change has been carried over to new LoL content, including voice lines and character skins released after the show came out.
Should You Play League of Legends If You Loved Arcane?
That depends entirely on what you loved most about the show. If you fell in love with the characters, their backstories, and the world of Runeterra, you’ll almost certainly have a great time exploring the game. You can play as your favorite Arcane characters, unlock exclusive Arcane-themed skins, and even find small references to the show scattered across the game’s Summoner’s Rift map.
If you only watched Arcane for the story and don’t enjoy competitive multiplayer games, you might not love the core LoL gameplay, which is very team-focused and has a fairly steep learning curve. If you’re new to LoL, start with 2-3 Arcane characters first to make the learning process feel more familiar. I recommend starting with Vi if you like up-close brawler playstyles, Jinx if you prefer long-range damage, or Caitlyn if you like sniping enemies from a distance. You can play co-op matches against AI first to get used to controls without facing off against experienced players.
You don’t have to play competitive ranked matches to enjoy League of Legends if you’re an Arcane fan. There are lots of casual game modes, like ARAM, that let you mess around with characters without the pressure of climbing a ranked ladder. I’ve had a bunch of friends who only watched Arcane start playing LoL in the last two years, and most of them stuck with it because they started with characters they already cared about. The ones who bounced off usually jumped straight into ranked matches without learning the basics first, so don’t make that mistake. If MOBAs aren’t your thing, Riot also has a range of other games set in Runeterra, from turn-based RPGs to fighting games, that feature all your favorite Arcane characters.
At the end of the day, there’s no question when someone asks is arcane related to league of legends – it’s an official, core part of the LoL universe that brought millions of new fans to the franchise. Whether you’re here to learn more about your favorite characters, try playing as Jinx for the first time, or just catch all the hidden Easter eggs you missed when you watched the show, there’s something for every Arcane fan in the League of Legends ecosystem. Don’t let the game’s reputation for being hard scare you off – start slow, stick to characters you recognize from the show, and have fun exploring the world of Runeterra beyond the screen.