Arcane writer says they've been sitting on the show's final scenes, mostly unchanged, for 6 years: "We always kind of knew where we were going"

Vi in Arcane season 1
(Image credit: Netflix)

Rewrites aren't uncommon in the television world, especially when it comes to a show with as many moving parts as Arcane, but one of the series' lead writers says they've been sitting on some of the show's final scenes, mostly unchanged, for six whole years.

In an interview with Gamesradar+, Arcane writer and producer Amanda Overton explains that the production team behind the Netflix animated series "are really big fans of efficient storytelling" and "only like to say or show things once, we really like to show things rather than say them if we can." That laser focus also meant that the Arcane team knew roughly where it was headed years ago.

"We wrote the end scenes, versions of them, six years ago," Overton says. "And that Vi-Jinx scene, the very last scene between them, is nearly the same as when we wrote it six years ago. We always kind of knew where we were going. And we knew the kind of moments that were important to us to show, and I think that's the joy of Arcane - it's really the kind of story that can expand the more you watch it, because it's so densely layered, there is so much in there."

"And the more you engage with the fans, the more you see," she continues. "There's things that I see every time I watch that the artists put in. It's the kind of story that expands the more you engage with it, and for us, we just think that's the kind of storytelling we want to do - something that people want to think more about, want to spend more time with after it's over."

Overton's comments come after fans have heatedly speculated that Arcane's second and final season was rushed out - claims showrunner Christian Linke responded to in a 500-word social media response. "It would have been great to have more time to work on this second season, or extra time to add to the episodes, but we didn't have it," Linke said, before noting the team had been "EXTREMELY lucky to get these absolutely insane budgets from Riot to produce Arcane. We all feel incredibly lucky. NOBODY ELSE gets these types of budgets. Please don't forget that."

 Arcane producer has the final say on explaining the Netflix show’s $250 million budget: “We are a game company… we didn’t lease out the work.” 

Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.

Read more
Arcane
League of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a "financial miss," says "people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane"
Arcane
Arcane writer shares where she wants to go with a new story in the League of Legends universe
Arcane
Arcane showrunner teases that future spin-offs could be focused on individual characters from the hit Netflix show: "We want to continue telling stories"
Arcane
"If we spoiled Arcane, it would have been heartbreaking": League of Legends spin-off Teamfight Tactics had scripts 2 years ago, and went to extreme lengths to keep them secret
Jinx in Arcane season 2
League of Legends co-creator reveals the "ballpark" number for Arcane's real budget – and it's not even close to the reported $250 million figure
Arcane season 2
Arcane star pays tribute to the hit Netflix show's fans as she says it was her "greatest honor" voicing Jinx
Latest in Animation Shows
Spider-Man in the Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man finale
Marvel EP shares hopes to release a new Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man series every year
Slam Dunk
Hate anime? 32 anime movies and TV shows to change your mind
Pokemon Concierge
All episodes of one of the best Pokemon TV shows are now free to watch on YouTube, with the reminder that more is on the way
jinx in 2xko weilding a big hammer with a smirk on her face
The League of Legends fighting game spin-off won't be getting its big playtest, but that's so that more of you can play it later this year
Arcane
Arcane season 2 will be available outside of Netflix as physical release planned
Aang, Sokka and Katara standing on a stone wall during the series Avatar: The Last Airbender
A new Avatar: The Last Airbender series set after the Legend of Korra is headed to Nickelodeon
Latest in News
The two characters in Split Fiction dressed in fantasy gear each with a dragon on their back
It Takes Two dev's new co-op game Split Fiction launches as Metacritic's highest rated game of 2025, beating out Monster Hunter Wilds and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Urban Dead
Cult text-based zombie MMO Urban Dead is shutting down after "a full 19 years, 8 months and 11 days" because of new UK legislation
PS5 30th Anniversary collection on a blue background
Echoing Xbox and Steam, PlayStation rolls out a beta program where you sign up to "test participating games for the PS5 console and PC" plus new features
One of the new Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4
"Don’t gaslight me": Borderlands 4 CEO Randy Pitchford begs fans to be optimistic about the upcoming FPS, otherwise "we'll all pay the price"
MobLand
First trailer for Guy Ritchie’s new crime drama sees Tom Hardy and Pierce Brosnan rule a brutal mafia empire
Ncuti Gatwa in Doctor Who season 2
Doctor Who fans think they've spotted a tease for surprise villains in new season 2 trailer