League of Legends is the largest PC game in the world and has generated over $20 billion in revenue over its 10-year lifetime. To show its millions of fans that Arcane, its now critically acclaimed animated series, was truly made for them, Riot turned Hollywood tradition upside down and threw a never-before seen global Twitch premiere experience for its gaming community. Riot built spaces for its strongest advocates to own the moment and drive the conversation to broader audiences, furthering its goal of being the most player-focused game company in the world.

Hollywood has failed, time and again, to recreate the storytelling secret sauce of beloved video game franchises. And gamers have spoken: they’re fed up with their favorite worlds becoming cash-grab casualties of an industry that doesn’t prioritize them.

So when Riot chose to make a TV show based on the largest PC game in the world, not only did Arcane have to deliver on years of players asking for deeper story immersion—it had to prove to hundreds of millions of fans that a game adaptation could work at all. The premiere was the kick off to Arcane, and it was critically important to set the tone that this TV show wasn't for the masses, but for the players. To do so, Riot broke the rules of a Hollywood premiere, throwing a celebration that focused on its millions of players around the world.

To achieve our goals of massive viewership, social buzz and positive sentiment, we needed to go viral with League’s core audience, who would amplify hype and excitement to the rest of the world. We couldn’t repeat traditional tactics of sharing the show with the entertainment press ahead of time, they just wouldn’t get it and could accidentally spoil plot points years in the making. We created a whole new approach to launching a TV show, inspiring League’s most hardcore fans while inviting endemic media along for the ride to cover the authentic approach.

Forgoing embargoed coverage, we bet on the community to drive widespread conversation and gaming coverage that would reach the mainstream. Inviting press to celebrate alongside our global community, free of barriers or spoilers, the premiere was a “can’t miss” moment for everyone to come together and celebrate the spectacular evolution of their favorite IP.

At the World Premiere of Arcane, Riot gave players a glimpse of a future where their favorite video game adaptations debut exactly as they would hope. One that trades exclusive guest lists and black-tie dress codes for a front-row experience for all. The premiere broke Hollywood traditions and ushered in a digital-first event that brought together its passionate communities, putting players first and opening the velvet rope to anyone who was interested in joining the celebration.

Players could watch from the comfort of their own homes, while still being connected online with friends, celebrating the arrival of an IP they’ve come to know and love through playing games together. Over 5,000 influencers, who have made meaningful careers through playing League of Legends, broadcast themselves watching the show, experiencing it together with their millions of fans around the world.

The passionate gamer was the focus of every newsbeat ahead of the show premiere. To avoid overhyping the series for mass-market consumption, we deployed key messages for our core audience in endemic media: the show is an authentic representation of League of Legends characters; it is beautifully written and animated; and it is a vision of the future where games drive entertainment.

On Riot’s campus, a Covid-conscious red carpet experience brought together global press and streamers, who gave fans a live window into the event. At home, media enjoyed the premiere experience with the community, alongside 5,000+ co-streaming channels on Twitch. They could watch episodes with their favorite celebrities and personalities, or watch the official premiere stream, featuring interviews with cast members, show creators, and game developers. The first Netflix show to premiere with unlocked co-streaming, Arcane democratized the elitist Hollywood Premiere by prioritizing a shared viewing experience.

The Arcane Premiere drew over 8 million global viewers online and reached the #1 category on Twitch, nearly 4 times the popularity of the Game of Thrones premiere. It also received a 96% net positive global social sentiment and a 98% neutral to positive sentiment in earned media, driving home key brand messages that increased its share of voice to record highs against competitors including Epic Games and Electronic Arts.

Arcane trended on Twitter in 36 countries during the premiere, hitting the #1 spot in Brazil, France, and Mexico, and ranked as the #1 English language series on Netflix for its premiere release episodes. It was also the #1 most tweeted about TV show in the US for the month of November 2021.

Throughout the show’s release, over 10 million hours of Arcane content was viewed on Twitch alone, and related social content drove over 130 million views on owned channels. Empowering fans paid off in a major way, with UGC driving over 2 billion views on TikTok alone. In the month of November, over 2,500 articles mentioned Arcane and Riot’s in-game ties, generating over $9M in earned media value, achieved without any paid media placements.

Social buzz and viewership funneled players into a watch/play cycle that saw over 3 billion hours of Riot games played in November 2021—over 3 times the average number of hours played by American gamers. This is the equivalent of the entire global population playing Riot's games for 22.7 minutes.

Gamers are coming for Hollywood. They’re starved for authentic experiences that honor the emotional investment they made before anyone else had a reason to care. They want nuance—not mass market appeal.

To ensure Arcane would deliver where others have failed, Riot developed it in-house, crafting the series over six painstaking years to make sure every plotline, voice actor, and Easter egg were perfectly placed to surprise and delight millions of fans around the world. The effort culminated in Arcane’s debut, the most accessible and fan-centered premiere in gaming entertainment history.

League of Legends is the largest PC game in the world and has generated over $20 billion in revenue over its 10-year lifetime. To show its millions of fans that Arcane, its now critically acclaimed animated series, was truly made for them, Riot turned Hollywood tradition upside down and threw a never-before seen global Twitch premiere experience for its gaming community. Riot built spaces for its strongest advocates to own the moment and drive the conversation to broader audiences, furthering its goal of being the most player-focused game company in the world.

Hollywood has failed, time and again, to recreate the storytelling secret sauce of beloved video game franchises. And gamers have spoken: they’re fed up with their favorite worlds becoming cash-grab casualties of an industry that doesn’t prioritize them.

So when Riot chose to make a TV show based on the largest PC game in the world, not only did Arcane have to deliver on years of players asking for deeper story immersion—it had to prove to hundreds of millions of fans that a game adaptation could work at all. The premiere was the kick off to Arcane, and it was critically important to set the tone that this TV show wasn't for the masses, but for the players. To do so, Riot broke the rules of a Hollywood premiere, throwing a celebration that focused on its millions of players around the world.

At the World Premiere of Arcane, Riot gave players a glimpse of a future where their favorite video game adaptations debut exactly as they would hope. One that trades exclusive guest lists and black-tie dress codes for a front-row experience for all. The premiere broke Hollywood traditions and ushered in a digital-first event that brought together its passionate communities, putting players first and opening the velvet rope to anyone who was interested in joining the celebration.

Players could watch from the comfort of their own homes, while still being connected online with friends, celebrating the arrival of an IP they’ve come to know and love through playing games together. Over 5,000 influencers, who have made meaningful careers through playing League of Legends, broadcast themselves watching the show, experiencing it together with their millions of fans around the world.

To achieve our goals of massive viewership, social buzz and positive sentiment, we needed to go viral with League’s core audience, who would amplify hype and excitement to the rest of the world. We couldn’t repeat traditional tactics of sharing the show with the entertainment press ahead of time, they just wouldn’t get it and could accidentally spoil plot points years in the making. We created a whole new approach to launching a TV show, inspiring League’s most hardcore fans while inviting endemic media along for the ride to cover the authentic approach.

Forgoing embargoed coverage, we bet on the community to drive widespread conversation and gaming coverage that would reach the mainstream. Inviting press to celebrate alongside our global community, free of barriers or spoilers, the premiere was a “can’t miss” moment for everyone to come together and celebrate the spectacular evolution of their favorite IP.

The passionate gamer was the focus of every newsbeat ahead of the show premiere. To avoid overhyping the series for mass-market consumption, we deployed key messages for our core audience in endemic media: the show is an authentic representation of League of Legends characters; it is beautifully written and animated; and it is a vision of the future where games drive entertainment.

On Riot’s campus, a Covid-conscious red carpet experience brought together global press and streamers, who gave fans a live window into the event. At home, media enjoyed the premiere experience with the community, alongside 5,000+ co-streaming channels on Twitch. They could watch episodes with their favorite celebrities and personalities, or watch the official premiere stream, featuring interviews with cast members, show creators, and game developers. The first Netflix show to premiere with unlocked co-streaming, Arcane democratized the elitist Hollywood Premiere by prioritizing a shared viewing experience.

The Arcane Premiere drew over 8 million global viewers online and reached the #1 category on Twitch, nearly 4 times the popularity of the Game of Thrones premiere. It also received a 96% net positive global social sentiment and a 98% neutral to positive sentiment in earned media, driving home key brand messages that increased its share of voice to record highs against competitors including Epic Games and Electronic Arts.

Arcane trended on Twitter in 36 countries during the premiere, hitting the #1 spot in Brazil, France, and Mexico, and ranked as the #1 English language series on Netflix for its premiere release episodes. It was also the #1 most tweeted about TV show in the US for the month of November 2021.

Throughout the show’s release, over 10 million hours of Arcane content was viewed on Twitch alone, and related social content drove over 130 million views on owned channels. Empowering fans paid off in a major way, with UGC driving over 2 billion views on TikTok alone. In the month of November, over 2,500 articles mentioned Arcane and Riot’s in-game ties, generating over $9M in earned media value, achieved without any paid media placements.

Social buzz and viewership funneled players into a watch/play cycle that saw over 3 billion hours of Riot games played in November 2021—over 3 times the average number of hours played by American gamers. This is the equivalent of the entire global population playing Riot's games for 22.7 minutes.

Gamers are coming for Hollywood. They’re starved for authentic experiences that honor the emotional investment they made before anyone else had a reason to care. They want nuance—not mass market appeal.

To ensure Arcane would deliver where others have failed, Riot developed it in-house, crafting the series over six painstaking years to make sure every plotline, voice actor, and Easter egg were perfectly placed to surprise and delight millions of fans around the world. The effort culminated in Arcane’s debut, the most accessible and fan-centered premiere in gaming entertainment history.