Summary
Arcaneis finally set to return in November with its second season, and it looks set to avoid a majorInvincibleproblem in the process. Netflix’s critically acclaimed animated show was a huge hit when it debuted in 2021, but despite its popularity,Arcanewill officially end with season 2, making way for futureLeague of Legendsadaptations. While the series may be hard to replace, it looks like it will have a strong conclusion, as the show ending on its own terms is promising for its finale, which also suggests the creators have a strong finish in mind.
With the three-year gap between seasons 1 and 2, there will be big expectations for the show to deliver with its final outing, meaning it can’t afford to make any major mistakes. Thankfully,Arcaneseason 2 looks like it will avoid a keyInvincibleproblem.Prime Video’s hit animated series has found a similar level of success toArcane, with both shows setting the standard for current animated projects.Invincibleseason 2’s endingeven set up an exciting future for the franchise; however, its big release issue hurt the show’s reputation. Fortunately,Arcaneseason 2 won’t repeat these mistakes.
Arcane
Arcane is an animated series set in the League of Legends universe, debuting in 2021. It explores the conflict between the affluent city of Piltover and the oppressed undercity of Zaun. Central to the story are two sisters whose allegiance to opposing sides of a technological and ideological war strains their bond.
Arcane Season 2’s Release Date Wait Mirrors Invincible Season 2’s
Both Invincible & Arcane Took A Long Time Between Seasons 1 & 2
Despite both shows having very different premises, they have a similar history, withArcaneseason 2’s release date mirroringInvincibleseason 2. Having both debuted in 2021,InvincibleandArcanemanaged to acquire huge fan bases and obtain incredible reviews, before going on hiatus for close to three years.Invincible’s first season dropped in March 2021, before its second season premiered in November 2023, meaning over two-and-a-half-years passed between seasons.Arcaneshares a similar story, with the show’s first episode coming out in November 2021, while season 2 is scheduled to premiere at some point in November 2024.
Given they both have high-quality animation, storytelling, and voice acting, the long production schedule for each show doesn’t seem to be a coincidence. Animation tends to take a lot longer than live-action projects, and withInvincibleandArcanebeing some of the best-animated shows around, their similar release cycles make sense. However, despiteInvincibleseason 3’s positive release updates, it still has to bounce back from a critical season 2 mistake. In contrast,Arcaneseason 2 looks set to avoid any major criticism with its release plans, especially with it being the show’s final outing.
Arcane Season 2 Will Presumably Release All Episodes At Once (Unlike Invincible)
Arcane Seems Unlikely To Have A Midseason Break
Arcaneseason 1 consisted of nine episodes that were released over the course of three weeks.
UnlikeInvincible,Arcanelooks like it will release all of its season 2 episodes in the span of a few weeks.Arcaneseason 1 consisted of nine episodes that were released over three weeks. Three episodes dropped every week, giving audiences time to consume each one before having a short wait to get excited about the next batch. This formula worked for the show and seems like the right method to adopt for season 2. Even if the episode count is different, releasing all these episodes in a limited window is a logical move and avoidsInvincible’s critical mistake.
Invincibleseason 1 followed the usual Prime Video format of releasing three episodes at once before dropping weekly episodes for the remainder of the season. However, season 2 completely switched things up by releasing four weekly episodes before going on a four-month hiatus. Upon returning, the show continued releasing episodes weekly, butInvincibleseason 2’s midseason break was far too long. This caused complaints among the fans and damaged the show’s momentum, whichArcane’s likely release plan will prevent, as Netflix’s schedule worked perfectly for the series, meaning there is no reason to change things for its final outing.
Invincible Season 2’s Release Strategy Was Too Risky After Its Major Hiatus
Invincible’s Midseason Break Hurt The Show’s Momentum
While midseason breaks work for some shows,Invincible’s strategy was far too risky given how long audiences had to wait between seasons. Robert Kirkman’s (Invinciblecreator) other hit show,The Walking Dead, also used midseason breaks to split up seasons; however, they were twice as long asInvincible’s.The Walking Deadtypically consisted of 16 episodes a season which were released yearly, warranting a midseason break far more thanInvincible. Having waited the better part of three years, fans had only received a single one-off episode, meaning they were desperate for moreInvinciblewhen season 2 finally rolled around.
Arcane’s Ending Announcement Confirms 1 Exciting Truth About Season 2
Arcane announced that the next installment will be the final season which confirms an exciting truth surrounding the upcoming season 2.
This made the decision to have a four-month break after just four episodes all the more damaging for the series. Considering most Prime Video originals followed the same release formula,Invinciblebreaking this to have a midseason break was far too risky after such a lengthy production on season 2. Given episode four also ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, this only frustrated viewers even more, proving the format didn’t work.Invinciblehas consistently delivered in terms of story, but the release schedule has proven to be a massive issue, whichArcanelooks like it will learn from.
Invincible
Based on the comic book character by Robert Kirkman, Invincible follows Mark Grayson, a seventeen-year-old who leads a seemingly average life save for the fact that he lives behind the shadow of his superhero father, Omni-Man. Mark goes on to develop superhuman abilities, but he must also learn that his father’s legacy isn’t as glitzy and glamorous as he’s been led to believe.
