By 2026, Arcane has completed its two-season run, and the smoke over Piltover and Zaun has finally begun to clear. The story of Vi, Jinx, and the cities that made them became a rare thing: a video game adaptation that non-players could love and lore veterans could dissect for years. Now Riot Games stands at a crossroads, much like a cartographer tracing a coastline that keeps redrawing itself. The map of Runeterra is vast, and the next animated chapter could sail in almost any direction. With the League of Legends roster now far beyond the 150-plus champions of Arcane's debut, the question in 2026 is no longer whether Riot will continue the story, but which thread it will pull first.
1. The Sunken Origin of Zaun 🌊
Piltover and Zaun have been realized in such detail that every alley, laboratory, and shimmer-lit street feels alive. But the most fascinating branch may be the one that goes backward. Before Zaun was the undercity, it was a Shuriman port city above ground. Riot could tell the story of its golden age, its chemtech mining tragedy, and the catastrophe that sank it beneath the sea. Characters like Xerath and Azir could appear in their earliest forms, while the legend of Janna, the wind spirit who saved survivors, could become the emotional heart of a season.
Zaun's history is a submerged cathedral of ambition, its bells still ringing beneath the waves. A series set in that era would not just explain the city's origins; it would reframe everything viewers thought they knew about the undercity's resilience.
2. Warwick: The Uncaged Wrath 🐺
Spoilers for Arcane episode three and onward. Anyone deep in League lore has already connected Warwick and Vander. The drums that play when Silco speaks of unleashing Vander's beast, the in-game quotes between Warwick, Vi, and Jinx, and Warwick's amnesia all point in the same direction. Singed looking up at a hanging furry beast in episode six made it almost explicit.
A future season could follow Warwick as Singed's test subject, show how he earns the name Uncaged Wrath of Zaun, and explore whether any part of Vander remains inside the monster. It would be a tragedy wrapped in claws, and Riot has already proven it can make that kind of pain beautiful.
3. Noxus and the Rise of Swain 🏛️
Noxus has been hinted at throughout Arcane, and it is a kingdom built on political intrigue, warmongers, and ravens. Mel Medarda and her mother already tie the story to Noxian power, and the constant crows suggest Jericho Swain may already be watching. Swain's ascent could be a chess game played with ravens and revolutions, showing how a crippled soldier becomes the leader of a nation.
Arcane has already bent canon when it needed to, so Riot could take Swain's story anywhere. A Noxus series would offer a tonal shift from Piltover's gears and Zaun's fumes to something colder, sharper, and more openly hungry for power.
4. Chemtech, Shimmer, and the Chem Barons 🧪
Shimmer was only the beginning of Zaun's prosperity. While Piltover advanced Hextech, Zaun answered with Chemtech. That technology eventually fractured the undercity into districts ruled by Chem Barons, and it created some of League's most memorable champions. A dedicated animated series could trace the origins of these Chemtech legends.
| Champion | Possible Role in a Chemtech Story |
|---|---|
| Warwick | Singed's ultimate experiment |
| Singed | The amoral genius behind shimmer |
| Urgot | A Noxian executioner reborn in Zaun |
| Zac | A accidental life form born from chemical waste |
| Dr. Mundo | A mad doctor shaped by Zaun's brutality |
| Twitch | A plague rat transformed by alchemical runoff |
Fans would likely welcome a new female Chemtech champion as well, since that subgroup has been mostly male and has not seen a new addition in quite some time. A series like this could end with the announcement of a fresh face, turning lore into a living, evolving ecosystem.
5. Bandle City and the Yordles 🍄
People love Heimerdinger. What began as a nerdy scientist with a fan-favorite nickname became one of the most beloved characters in the franchise thanks to Arcane. His little Poro companion, his expressive ears, and his genuine compassion for inventors made him unforgettable. Since Yordles are now established in Arcane, Riot could take a larger look at Bandle City.
A story focused entirely on Yordles could bring in Veigar, Tristana, Kled, Teemo, Corki, Gnar, Lulu, Fizz, Kennen, Poppy, Rumble, Ziggs, or even Amumu. It could be whimsical, terrifying, or both at once, like a nursery rhyme that somehow knows your darkest secret.
6. Ekko and the Zero Drive ⏳
Ekko's story is incredibly interesting because his Zero Drive makes him one of the few champions with time-altering powers. Arcane changed his origins slightly, but he remains the plucky rebel who loves Zaun for its energy and passion. The end of Arcane left so much untold, and a future season could show how he builds the Zero Drive and meets alternate-reality versions of himself.
Ekko's device is a pocket watch that refuses to obey the hour. In a medium already fascinated by cause and effect, his story could become the most mind-bending chapter yet.
7. The Rune Wars and Ryze 🌍
The Rune Wars were an ancient cataclysm in which humanity used World Runes to sink entire countries. It is likely the event Heimerdinger warns about when he says Hextech should not be messed with. Now that viewers have seen the highs and lows of tampering with magic, a season or even a two-episode arc about the Rune Wars could show exactly why Heimerdinger has a point.
This could also be where Ryze finally appears in a modern adaptation. He was one of the original champions from 2009, and his role as a wandering guardian of world-ending power makes him a natural anchor for Runeterra's deepest history.
8. The Void, Viktor, and the Hexcore 🌌
Shimmer has raised questions since its first appearance. Zaun used Chemtech, which was usually green, but Shimmer seemed new. After Arcane's full run, it is clear that Shimmer may have a connection to the Void, a realm of nothingness and chaos where many villainous champions originate. The Hexcore tied to Viktor's transformation grows more Void-like over time, which changes a great deal about his original canon.
If Riot uses Viktor to explore the Void, it could introduce Cho'Gath, Vel'Koz, or Kassadin. The same dark path could also lead into the Black Mist and the Ruined King, though the recently released game already covers that territory well.
9. Orianna and Singed's Locket 🕰️
One of the latest fan discoveries comes from the final seconds of Arcane's first season. When Singed looks at a locket while a furry beast hangs above, the image of his daughter resembles Orianna. Originally, Orianna was the daughter of a skilled artificer in Piltover, but this hint suggests Riot may be changing canon to make her Singed's daughter.
That change would be a fantastic way to introduce the clockwork concept that several existing champions share. It would also give Singed a personal tragedy to match his monstrous experiments, making him more than just a mad scientist in the shadows.
Final Thoughts ✨
In 2026, Arcane's legacy is not just two seasons of television. It is a proof of concept that Runeterra can sustain prestige animation across many genres. Whether Riot goes backward to the fall of Zaun, sideways to Noxus, or upward to Bandle City, the next story only needs one thing: a thread strong enough to pull viewers into another corner of the world. The loom is ready. The pattern is waiting.