Arcane Season 2 Act 2 trades chaotic action for masterful storytelling

Where Arcane Season 2 Act 1 was chaos, Act 2 slows things down, introducing new League of Legends characters and a focus on storytelling.

Our story begins in black and white once more, but instead of the somberness of Cassandra Kiramman’s funeral, we’re thrust into the chaos of a Piltover on the brink of war. Jayce and Mel are gone, their fates in the hands of various agitators. In their place Ambessa Medarda reigns supreme, fanning the flames of Caitlyn’s hatred for Jinx, while simultaneously trying to steal Hextech from under her nose. But Jayce and Viktor’s world-changing creation has been corrupted by The Anomaly, an ever-growing, omnipresent cosmic threat that feels like it’s about to destroy Runeterra. We consistently hear that the “Arcane is waking up,” vengeful for the toll Hextech has taken upon it. There are two major threats in Arcane Season 2 Act 2: Ambessa’s greed attracting Noxus’ gaze, and The Anomaly itself.

Please note that there are major plot spoilers from here on in: read at your own risk.

Well, perhaps there are three. Maybe even four. Honestly, probably even more. Where the first act of Arcane Season 2 was fast-paced and action-packed, Act 2 slows things right down, focusing on storytelling while setting the stage for new League of Legends champions – yes, I’m talking about that one.

The first snippet we saw from Season 2 was Singed’s eerie, lupine creation; a hulking werewolf creature fuelled by noxious green fluid. It was immediately apparent that this is, of course, Warwick, but that’s just one part of his now incredibly complex identity.

Episode 4, Paint the Town Blue, is all about the Wrath of Zaun himself. Caitlyn has moved on from Vi, finding companionship in Maddie alongside a renewed determination to track down Jinx. Vi is nowhere to be found, and the blue-haired bombshell is busying herself with not being a hero, despite the protests of her new companion, Isha.

Our first glimpse of Isha and Jinx in Act 2 is them pitting Rift Scuttlers against one another in an epic, Fight Club-style battle; a clever little subversion, given the ‘Come Play’ trailer’s focus on Vi in one of Zaun’s fight pits. It’s a playful scene, made better by the fact that, as Stink Maw and Scuttle Butt juke it out in the arena, an orchestral version of The World Alive and The Glitch Mob’s ever-iconic 2018 League of Legends Worlds anthem, Rise, begins to play. It’s an easter egg that immediately elicits a smile – all we needed was for one of them to be clad in T1’s classic red and white.

But while Jinx is determined that her penchant for chaos is behind her, Isha takes matters into her own hands. Now sporting Jinx-blue hair (a reward for Scuttle Butt’s win) and a replica of her outfit, she drops some of Jinx’s signature handmade bombs on Rivington Checkpoint, reigniting the flames of Zaun’s resistance while simultaneously kickstarting a brutal Enforcer incursion into the Undercity. As Sevika organizes a rally in Zaun, Ambessa’s right-hand man (Rictus, he has a name now) crashes the blue and purple party, carting Isha off to the bowels of the infamous Stillwater Hold.

But accompanying our blue-haired misfit is a cloaked, masked Singed, who deliberately cuts his own hand and spews a breadcrumb-style trail of red wherever he can. As his blood hits dirty concrete, his creation awakens, and it’s angry. “Chin up, little one, I’ll tell you a secret – we won’t be staying long,” Singed promises Isha.

We cut to an underground tunnel, illuminated in an almost blinding red light. As the camera charges through the winding shadows at breakneck speed, all we can see are huge black claws – one of which is mechanical. The scene jitters, transporting us up into the sketchy black streets of Zaun, the sounds of growling and snarling drowning out the rest of the world. We catch Singed’s scent, then look up at the memorial statue of Vander – a subtle gesture, but a hint nonetheless. The trail, as you’ve likely guessed, leads to Stillwater, which Jinx and Sevika have since infiltrated, but nothing – not even the mighty Jinx – will stop Warwick from collecting his master.

In-game, Warwick’s Blood Hunt ability (W) allows him to sense when enemies are below 50% health, sending him into a frenzy when they drop below 20% which, in turn, grants extra movement speed. Their trail is denoted by an eerie red light, with Warwick’s eyes and rage generators glowing red instead of their usual green. It’s the ability that defines his character, so as a long-time fan of the game, I’m genuinely shocked by how well Fortiche has translated it into Arcane. Not only does it channel the horror aesthetic of classic werewolf flicks, it feels like we’re actually Warwick. It’s the perfect introduction to one of League’s most popular champions.

But there’s also his brief confrontation with Ambessa. As the incoming prisoner train slowly draws up to Stillwater, all we hear is the screeching of metal being torn asunder and the vague, indistinct sound of growling. The door has been forced slightly ajar, giving us a glimpse of what lies in wait. For a moment, Arcane becomes a horror show, and as Ambessa slides down her golden mask, preparing for combat, the beast is unleashed – a hulking mass of fur and raw, unbridled fury.

As showcased in Blood Sweat & Tears, her champion music video, and her debut skin, Chosen of the Wolf, Ambessa has a long history with our canine companions (both ethereal and godly), so seeing her bested by Warwick feels somewhat poetic. On the surface this encounter is exciting – Ambessa is finally shaken – but its meanings run deeper for avid fans of the game. What Fortiche did so well with Season 1 was fuse League of Legends’ longstanding lore with Arcane’s ongoing plotline without overwhelming viewers, and it’s doing it all over again in Season 2.

From here, however, the action begins to take a back seat. Instead, we see the reunion of Vi (who’s spent most of her time pummeling people in the ring and drinking herself into oblivion) and Jinx, who come together after Jinx’s realization that Warwick is, indeed, who we thought he was all along. Meanwhile, Mel grapples with the Black Rose, who has trapped her in a puzzle-based prison with someone who claims to be her brother – note that Ambessa claimed he was “gone” during the events of Act 1. Meanwhile, her mother makes a deal with Singed to create organic weapons akin to Warwick for Noxus’ use.

And that’s when Jayce reappears. Stumbling out of the Hexcore, battered, bruised, and infused with The Anomaly’s signature hexagonal corruption, it’s clear that some time has passed since he was swallowed by it, given his rugged, bearded appearance. Sporting an eerie blue crystal on his wrist and equipped with a bastardized version of his iconic hammer, he’s greeted by a now-walking Salo, who was urged to visit Viktor by mysterious Vastayan temptress, Lest. Salo opens his mind, allowing Viktor to overtake his body, but as the pair discuss The Anomaly, Jayce sees flashes of its corruption everywhere. “It’s a curse; we have to end it, Viktor,” he says. And as Salo turns to leave, he strikes him down, oily blood staining the camera.

When I watched Blisters and Bedrock the first time, I was pretty sure that Jayce was under the control of something malevolent, but at a second glance, I’m not so sure. While Viktor’s miracles outwardly appear to help people, knowing the champion and his motivations in-game, I’m relatively sure there’s something more sinister going on. The lines between good and evil are blurred; Jayce’s apparent madness versus Viktor’s perceived benevolence. Everything’s twisted and warped like The Anomaly itself – I genuinely don’t know what comes next.

As I said in my Arcane Season 2 Act 1 review, this season proves just how many things are in motion in Runeterra, expanding out of the Zaun/Piltover bubble to showcase the sheer scope of League of Legends. Where Season 1 felt relatively black and white with moral shades of gray, Season 2 is a story about Runeterra, not just Jinx and Vi and the republics of Piltover and Zaun. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.

And they hang in the balance in Act 2’s finale, The Message Hidden Within the Pattern. As Jinx, Vi, and Isha arrive in Viktor’s compound seeking help for Warwick, everything seems perfect. Viktor’s many disciples are happy, wandering aimlessly, living their lives in relative comfort. While Ambessa’s army stands at the commune’s doorstep, hungry for war and determined to retrieve their new weapon, Caitlyn and Vi reunite, throwing a spanner in the works at the last moment in a fight that seamlessly translates their various in-game abilities into a smooth, cinematic combat sequence.

But Ambessa isn’t the threat anymore. Instead, it’s Jayce, who lurches into the sanctuary and appears to strike down Viktor, dissolving his work and transforming his ‘patients’ back to their old selves. As Warwick begins to rage, tearing Ambessa’s legions asunder, Isha collects Jinx’s Hextech orbs into her Zapper pistol and opens fire on the raging beast. What happens next remains a mystery: the curtains fall. It’s a moment of peace in a world at war, snuffed out by the actions of a supposed madman. The parallels with the ending of Season 1 are pretty clear.

And, just like Season 1’s ending, episode six leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Mel appears to have broken free of the Black Rose’s chains, but what she’s learned about her mother alters the very fabric of their relationship. Ekko and Heimerdinger are nowhere to be seen, presumably still trapped within The Anomaly. Singed continues to perfect his bioweapons to “cure death,” and Jayce is on a mission to purge the world of The Anomaly and, by proxy, Hextech. It’s a lot of strands that need tying up, and given there are only three episodes left, I’m intrigued to see how Fortiche manages it.

There’s a lot at stake in Arcane Season 2, and while Act 2 slowed the pace right down and refocused on storytelling, I imagine Act 3 will look a little more like Act 1. I just worry that it’s going to try to do too much in too short a time, and will lose out on some of Act 2’s masterful worldbuilding in exchange for action. The pressure to round the series out with a bang is mammoth, especially given its popularity with both longtime fans and LoL newcomers alike. It’s a pressure I don’t envy, but Season 2 has risen to the occasion so far. My hopes, therefore, are pretty damn high.