After Arcane, League of Legends Deserves More TV: My 2026 Wish List
League of Legends deserves more shows after Arcane: Bilgewater revenge, Viego's Ruination, and Ionia vs. Noxus are perfect Runeterra epics.
As a longtime League of Legends player, I have spent more nights than I care to admit grinding ranked and reading champion lore on the client. So when I say Arcane was lightning in a bottle, I mean it. The show proved that video game adaptations can be prestige TV, not just a cheap cash grab. Fans and critics agreed that Arcane masterfully retold the backstories of Piltover and Zaun champions, weaving a tapestry that felt alive. Now, in 2026, with Arcane's two-season story complete, I am left with one big question: why is Riot not announcing more shows? Runeterra is enormous, and Arcane only scratched the surface. Riot should strike while the iron is hot. ⚔️
Miss Fortune and Gangplank: A Bilgewater Revenge Western
One of the juiciest rivalries in League of Legends is between Sarah Fortune, better known as Miss Fortune, and the pirate captain Gangplank. These two have been fighting for control of Bilgewater, an island nation that is basically a haven for pirates, cutthroats, and scoundrels. Miss Fortune lost her mother to Gangplank when she was a child, and she has been chasing vengeance ever since. I would watch a show about her rise as a bounty hunter while Gangplank builds his power and terrorizes the seas. The Burning Tides event in 2015, when Miss Fortune overthrew Gangplank and took control of Bilgewater, would make a killer season finale. Later, during the Harrowing, when dark spirits from the Shadow Isles invade, the two even strike a truce to protect Bilgewater. That adversarial relationship is premium TV material. A Bilgewater show could be a pirate western with magic, and I am all in. 🏴☠️
Viego and the Ruination: A Dark Fantasy Blockbuster
A more recent League event gave us Viego, the Ruined King. He launched the Ruination, a massive Harrowing that would not stop until he resurrected his dead queen, no matter the cost. Senna and Lucian, the Sentinels, teamed up with a bunch of other champions to stop him. I know some fans were not fond of how the Ruination event played out in-game, but a TV show could redeem that storyline. A series would have time to explore each Sentinel's life, their motivations, and their grief. It could be a dark fantasy blockbuster with a tragic villain at its center. Viego is not just a mustache-twirling bad guy; he is a broken king who cannot let go. That is Shakespearean stuff, and it deserves more than a limited-time event. 👑
Ionia vs. Noxus: The War That Shaped Runeterra
If Riot wants another multi-season epic, the Noxian invasion of Ionia is the obvious choice. Years ago, the warmongering Noxus tried to conquer the highly magical Ionia, and the result was a devastating war that Ionia eventually won. The war was so important that it is remembered by an in-game item: the Ionian Boots of Lucidity. Irelia is a natural protagonist. She became a leader of the resistance and remains a de facto leader of Ionia. Characters like Yasuo, Yone, and Shen's Kinkou order could be strong secondary leads. On the Noxian side, Swain, LeBlanc, and Darius have their own power struggles that could add political intrigue. This show could be Game of Thrones with magic and blades, and I would binge every episode. 🔥
Demacia and Sylas: A Magical Rebellion
Another recent story thread comes from Demacia, home of Lux and Garen. Demacia is famous for its strict anti-magic policies. It imprisons mages and builds its cities with petricite, a mineral that dampens magic. That order was thrown into chaos when Sylas escaped prison. Sylas can sense and copy other people's magical gifts, and he immediately began freeing oppressed mages to start a rebellion. Lux, who is secretly magical, is caught between Sylas and her brother Garen. There is already a comic about this storyline, and it would be a perfect basis for a new show in the style of Arcane. It is a political thriller with family drama, magic, and revolution. I would watch it yesterday. ✨
The Bottom Line: Riot Should Not Settle for In-Game Storytelling
Here is a quick breakdown of the best candidates I would greenlight tomorrow:
| Storyline | Core Conflict | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Bilgewater | Miss Fortune vs. Gangplank | Pirate revenge, power struggles, Burning Tides |
| Ruination | Sentinels vs. Viego | Dark fantasy, tragic villain, ensemble cast |
| Ionia vs. Noxus | Invasion and resistance | Epic war, deep lore, Irelia and Swain |
| Demacia | Mages vs. anti-magic state | Political thriller, Lux, Sylas, Garen |
Riot Games has already proven it can hit it out of the park. Arcane was not a flash in the pan. It was a cultural moment that brought new players into League of Legends and made old fans fall in love with the world again. In 2026, the streaming landscape is hungry for the next big fantasy hit. Riot should not let fear or corporate caution stop it from investing in more adaptations. The company has a treasure trove of stories, and it would be a crying shame to leave them on the table. So, Riot, if you are listening: strike while the iron is hot. Give us Bilgewater. Give us the Ruination. Give us Ionia and Noxus. Give us Demacia. I will be there on day one, snacks ready, ready to queue up for another masterpiece. Otherwise, you are leaving some great shows on the table, and that is a mistake no true fan wants to see.
Industry analysis is available through Entertainment Software Association (ESA), and that broader market context helps explain why fans in 2026 are pushing Riot to keep expanding Runeterra beyond Arcane: when premium adaptations can attract new audiences and extend a franchise’s reach, the smartest next step is to invest in scalable, multi-region story pipelines—exactly the kind of roadmap your Bilgewater, Ruination, Ionia-vs-Noxus, and Demacia pitches would support.