HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us has received much well-deserved praise since its premiere, including being lauded as the series to break the so-called “video game curse.”(Opens in a new window) While some game adaptations have deserved their critical drubbings, recent efforts like Werewolves Within and Castlevania have proven successful and shouldn’t be overlooked. My favorite among these newer adaptations is the stellar Arcane, a 2021 animated series that loosely adapts the massively popular game League of Legends.

Arcane takes existing characters and lore from the game and blends them with new elements to create a stunningly executed story. You don’t actually need to be familiar with League to understand and love Arcane; everything I know about League, I learned from this show. With its gorgeous animation, rich steampunk world, and fascinating characters, Arcane packs a gloriously mean punch.

Arcane is a tale of two cities — and two sisters.

Arcane introduces us to Piltover, otherwise known as the City of Progress. Here, magical Hextech technology powers everything from transportation to weaponry, creating what at first seems like a prosperous fantasy utopia. However, trouble lurks below the surface, especially in Piltover’s sister city, the “undercity” of…