League of Legends’ Arcane has shattered all expectations, and has redefined the video game cinematic landscape, but what other games would we like to see follow in LoL’s footsteps?
2021 has truly been the year of Netflix. The streaming behemoth has gifted viewers with the likes of Squid Game – now one of Korea’s most successful survival dramas – and, of course, Riot Games’ League of Legends-inspired Netflix show, Arcane.
Blasting onto the scene in a blaze of glory, the personal struggle between sisters Vi and Jinx truly tugged on the heartstrings of both LoL fans and people who had never even stepped foot on Summoner’s Rift alike. While I argued in the past that Arcane was exactly what League needed – I’d go even further now and claim it’s what gaming as a whole needed.
As LoL continues to snowball in popularity following the series, I’ve listed six games that should take a leaf out of Riot Games’ book (unless it’s Yuumi’s book, then feel free not to) and create spin-off shows of their own.
Valorant
Riot Games have already proven that they can conquer the entertainment sphere, so why not keep the ball rolling with Valorant? The company’s flagship FPS may still be in its infancy, but its blossoming esports scene and roster of mysterious Agents have certainly captured the imaginations of its ever-growing fanbase.
Back when the Duality trailer dropped, fans from all across Future Earth were quick to concoct fascinating theories derived from the snippets of information shown. Riot have continued to snowball the lore hype with a whole collection of Easter Eggs and interactibles to tease players.
The excitement is there, the characters are there, and the story is still shrouded in shadow. Radiant: A Valorant story, anyone?
Apex Legends
When it comes to battle royales, Apex Legends has etched itself into history as one of the best. Rooted in the Titanfall universe, we’ve seen a lot of familiar faces enter the Apex Games of late, and players have been avidly trying to uncover their secrets.
Imagine a survival drama based around the game, or a deep dive into the past lives of Valkyrie or Ash. Ever wondered exactly where Bloodhound came from? The possibilities are endless, and the connections between each Legend yet to be fully explored.
Hunger Games? So six years ago. Squid Game? Binged it already. What do we want? We want an Apex TV show.
Overwatch
If there’s one fanbase that’s obsessed with its heroes, it’s Overwatch. From the lovable Mercy to the stealthy Sombra, there’s a character for everyone in Blizzard’s FPS universe.
- Read More: Is Overwatch getting a TV show?
As the game has progressed, though, the iconic cinematic universe appears to have died a death. With fans recently slamming the company for not developing characters like Sigma, a TV series would be the perfect revival effort to ignite the hype fires once more.
In the run-up to the elusive Overwatch 2, it’d be great to see an Overwatch-inspired TV show. Who knows, maybe it’d feature some of the sequel’s new heroes and villains – we’ll have to wait and see.
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Diablo
Continuing with Blizzard we have Diablo, the company’s iconic hack and slash dungeon crawler. With Diablo 2 Resurrected reimagining the series in terrifying HD, the cinematic directors have proven that they can transform your nightmares into a fearsome reality.
The franchise also has a whole host of Biblical-inspired lore to delve into. Drawing influence from classical demonology, there’s a treasure chest of stories just waiting to be smashed open.
Additionally, as the series progresses, new players are likely to lose track of exactly what’s going on – especially as the original Diablo is pretty hard to come by these days. A TV show would be the ideal deep dive into the plot, especially with Diablo 4 lurking on the horizon.
Destiny
While Bungie’s older Halo franchise (under 343 Industries’ stewardship) is getting a TV show, the developer’s loot-shooter franchise has been weaving seasonal plotlines with impressive results. The last year or so has bought story revelation after story revelation, and the exciting thing is that it only tells some stories within the game’s universe.
From humanity’s expansion during the Golden Age to early glimpses of the Darkness, to war stories from seminal characters like Ikora Rey or Commander Zavala, there’s a wealth of stories to tell.
Then there are the game’s exotic weapons. Could we find out about how Gjallarhorn was made, for example, or the story behind Bad Juju? Here’s hoping.
[Additional reporting by Lloyd Coombes]
Fable
Fable 3 may have left a bad taste in the mouths of avid fans, but the announcement of a franchise reboot has certainly flooded the game’s community with excitement.
Albion is a magical place, imbued with history and laced with charm. Its inhabitants are played by some of Britain’s most iconic actors, including the likes of Zoë Wanamaker as Theresa, John Cleese as Jarvis and, of course, Stephen Fry as Reaver. With an already star-studded cast, imagine what a TV series could look like.
Whether we’ll see these famous faces return in the latest installment is yet to be seen, but either way, we want to see them juke it out on Netflix.
So those are the six games we’d like to see transformed into an Arcane-style TV extravaganza. While none of these are confirmed, Arcane has been renewed for a second season – so be sure to check out our dedicated hub.