Everything You Need to Know About Netflix’s New Show Arcane, Even If You’ve Never Played League of Legends

The final trailer for Arcane, the Netflix show based on the wildly popular game League of Legends, dropped yesterday and we couldn’t be more excited! But you don’t have to be a fan of the games to watch Arcane: the show is set before the events of the game and acts as an origin story for some of its most popular characters. It’s also shaping up to be a wild ride for anyone who likes fantasy stories, with a gorgeous art style and thrilling soundtrack.

To help you get the most from Arcane when the first three episodes drop on November 6, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the show and the game that inspired it.

What is League of Legends?

League of Legends is a team-based game where two teams of five compete to control a map and destroy their opponent’s base. Each player controls a different champion with their own unique abilities, role, and backstory, and you can buy magical items to help you grow stronger.

There’s a lot of backstory involved, which Arcane will explore in a level of detail the game has never been able to. Arcane is set in the fictional city of Piltover, which is known as the “city of progress”. Many of the magical items champions use in the game come to Piltover, but while the rich live in utopia on the surface, the poor live in the seedy, oppressed undercity called Zaun.

Who’s in Arcane?

Arcane follows Vi (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), two of the most popular champions from the game. They both grew up on the mean streets of Zaun, and while Vi became a peacekeeper with the Wardens of Piltover, Jinx likes nothing more than leaving mayhem and panic in her wake. Vi is known for her hextech gauntlets, which we get a glimpse of in the trailer. On the other hand, Jinx has an arsenal of deadly weapons at her disposal — anything to make things go boom!

The show also features Jayce (Kevin Alejandro), a brilliant inventor dedicated to protecting Piltover; Caitlyn, (Katie Leung), a cunning marksman who eventually works with Vi; and Viktor (Harry Lloyd), an inventor who wants to use hextech to lift up the people of Zaun. Arcane is introducing a few new characters as well, like Silco (Jason Spisak).

What’s Arcane About?

We don’t know too many details about the plot of Arcane, but we know it’s an origin story for Vi and Jinx. The trailer also shows conflict between Piltover and Zaun, and we know it’s going to deal with some heavy themes.

How Can You Watch Arcane?

The first three episodes of Arcane will be available to stream on Netflix from November 6. Episodes will be released in three acts, with each act comprising of three, roughly 40-minute episodes. Act 2 will kick off on November 13 and act 3 will stream on November 20.