For a long time, Riot Games was known for only one game:League of Legends.That game has opened a lot of doors for Riot, and now stands as one of the most consistently popular multiplayer games out there, but it was still only one game. That’s different now, of course. Aside fromLegends of Runeterraand a number of other games inspired byLeague of Legends,Riot hasValorant, the team-based FPS that blends elements of hero shooters likeOverwatchwith theCounter-Strike: Global Offensivegameplay loop.Valorantis a huge success so far, and if it’s anything likeLoL, it’ll only continue to grow in the coming years.
Valorantdoes share a significant flaw withLeague of Legends,however, and that flaw is a lack of storytelling devices. There’s no singleplayer or story mode inValorant,nor are there quests that give a sense of where the game’s story is going, meaning players have to piece together lore for themselves from character dialogue and map details.League of Legends,however, just got a great storytelling device that skillfully brought the game’s lore to life. That device isArcane,the animated Netflix original showaboutLoL’s Zaun and Piltover. Considering how wellArcaneworked for Riot’s flagship game, aValorantTV show seems like the logical next step.
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Arcane’s Impact on League of Legends
League of Legends, as a MOBA, doesn’t have a lot of tools to explain its inherent narrative. Characters have unique interactions that explain their backstories and the world of Runeterra, and on rare occasions there’s in-game events that reflect a major change inLeague of Legends' setting. Otherwise, players have to seek out official short stories and explainers to really learn anything about Runeterra. The result is that it’s hard for casual fans to have a good grasp on howLeague of Legends' many championsfit together in a cohesive, living universe.
Arcaneturned that on its head. While it’s no story mode,Arcanetells the stories of some iconicLeague of Legendschampions just like a singleplayer campaign might. There’s no shortage of conversations and action sequences where characters work together, build relationships, and sometime fight each other, directly showing fans what kind of storyLeague of Legendshas to tell.Reception toArcanehas been highly positive, so it’s no surprise that Riot Games has already ordered a second season, but the success also meant Riot is probably interested in coming up with some additional shows, which meansValorantcould come to Netflix soon too.
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Valorant Has TV Potential
Valorantis nearly ten years younger thanLeague of Legends,which means it has a lot less lore and fewer major characters built into it so far, but it still has a lot of potential as a TV show in the style ofArcane.Recent videos related toValorantlore have hinted at the parallel universes that are coming together andpittingValorant’s playable characters against themselves. A show likeArcanethat brings some ofValorant’s central characters together and explores their relationships while leading up to an interdimensional conflict could be really compelling.
Riot Games has alreadygone far to supportValorant, but making a TV show for it would be another great sign of support for its new IP. EveryValorantupdate hints at a much larger web of stories and characters that would be worth representing in greater detail than the game itself is capable of. After all, it worked wonders forLeague of Legends. Arcaneis filled to the brim with long, detailed interactions that simply weren’t possible within the bounds of a MOBA. LettingValorantescape its limitations in the same way would be a wonderful way to help its story flourish and further establish Riot Games' potential to transform its games into compelling shows.
Valorantis available now for PC.
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