Business
Riot’s $250-million ‘Arcane’ TV series was a Netflix hit, financial miss
When Riot Games first decided to make a TV show inspired by its hit game “League of Legends,” the video game publisher took the unusual step of developing and financing the project on its own. While most of its peers license titles to Hollywood studios that have experience making TV, Riot wanted to maintain full control.
The company envisioned the show, which streams on Netflix, as a gift to fans, one that would also drive more people to play “League of Legends.” Now 15 years old, that game remains one of the most popular titles on the planet, but its player base is slowly shrinking.
Riot believed the show would be the first of many produced by its new entertainment division, which would transform the Los-Angeles based company into the next Walt Disney Co.
But “Arcane” went way over budget. Riot invested unprecedented sums and years developing the project. In addition to the production costs, the company put tens of millions of dollars more into marketing the show, as well as on a campaign for awards. All told, Riot spent about $250 million on two seasons of the series, “League of Legends” executive producer Paul Bellezza said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Netflix paid Riot about $3 million an episode to air the show, with Tencent Holdings Ltd., the Chinese technology giant that owns Riot, paying an additional $3 million for the rights to show it in China, according to Variety. Those payments amounted to less than half the total cost.
Four people with knowledge of “Arcane’s” production said the company didn’t have a robust plan to recoup the cost of the show before it launched. A spokesman for the company said that while the show itself wasn’t profitable, it added to the business in other ways. The company had one of its highest grossing revenue periods in the past month. “‘Arcane’ was a success when we look across all our internal measures,” the spokesperson said, adding that the second season is “on track to be at least break-even for us financially.”
Riot fired 11% of its staff at the start of the year, saying it wanted to put games back at the center of its business. The company scaled back its Hollywood ambitions in recent months, ending “Arcane” and pausing development on other adaptations.
Riot reorganized its entertainment division and President Shauna Spenley left, as did Ken Basin, the author of a book about how to make TV shows who served as head of operations for the film and TV unit.
“If they had seen an absolutely ginormous increase in revenue, in profit, they would have done more,” said Simon Pulman, who co-chairs the media and entertainment group at the law firm Pryor Cashman LLP. “It’s as simple as that.”
Video game publishers have turned their biggest hits into films for decades. The early results were poor. Nintendo Co. had such a negative experience with 1993’s “Super Mario Bros.” that it took the Japanese company three decades to allow another to be released. Yet, in recent years, the adaptations have started to win over audiences and critics. Universal Pictures’ take on “Mario” last year grossed nearly $1.4 billion at the box office.
Publishers have historically licensed their characters to Hollywood studios, offloading much of the financial risk. Lately, publishers have been mulling over how to bring those theatrical audiences back into their games, where they can spend money on digital items.
Riot has a history of spending generously on keeping its millions of players engaged and happy. Riot’s esports arm wasn’t profitable more than a decade after launching, for example.
The company decided to finance “Arcane” to ensure the quality of the project. In 2020, it hired Spenley, who previously worked at Netflix Inc., to build out its team. She then hired Brian Wright, another former Netflix employee. Riot doubled the size of the group tasked with connecting its games to the entertainment industry to more than two dozen people. Managers expecting to bring in new employees were told to budget for $250,000 a person.
“For us, what’s most important is fostering long-term player engagement and retention,” according to a Riot spokesperson. “Riot’s focus has always been on creating games and experiences that players want to enjoy for years, and ‘Arcane’ is part of that larger vision.”
“Arcane’s” very existence was controversial among some employees. Some Riot employees resisted the mandate to funnel resources into the show, according to six current and former staffers. The pricey passion project, backed by former Chief Executive Nicolo Laurent, sapped precious resources from “League of Legends,” Riot’s most important business. Laurent was trying to increase Riot’s valuation by diversifying beyond games.
The first season of the show was a critical success, earning four prizes at the 2022 Emmy Awards. It also topped Netflix’s chart of the most-watched titles in dozens of countries.
Yet interviews with Riot Games employees and industry analysts indicate it was a commercial failure for the company. Riot spent so much of its own money developing and marketing the show that it didn’t make money from the production. The show also failed to convert many new players or get existing players to spend more money on “League of Legends.”
Leaders on “Arcane’s” first season didn’t give Riot’s in-game item designers enough time to make new, “Arcane”-themed items or characters for sale in the game. While new players signed up for free “League of Legends” accounts, not very many stuck around, according to two people with knowledge of sign-ups. The game is famously complicated to learn and its community can be hard on new players.
“We were really surprised with the success of Season 1,” Bellezza, the “League of Legends” executive producer, said. That’s “why we probably missed an opportunity to do some in-game activations around it.”
Between its first and second seasons, Tencent started asking questions about what “Arcane” was adding to Riot’s core video game business, according to two people with knowledge of the relationship.
For the show’s second season, Riot planned to redouble efforts to funnel “Arcane” fans into “League of Legends,” where they could purchase themed digital items. The game is free but earns billions of dollars yearly through the sale of in-game cosmetics and characters, according to current and former employees.
This time Riot gave employees two years instead of just a few months to produce digital goods players could spend on. Eight new costumes based on “Arcane” characters were released since November, each selling for the equivalent of $10 to $14.
One skin for protagonist Jinx, which players can purchase chances to win, may cost up to $250, according to some estimates. Another character, Ambessa, costs the equivalent of $9.30. A high-budget music video accompanied her launch. Many employees questioned whether Riot would have been better off just improving its video game and designing items employees knew players would like.
Over the last few years, video game companies are asking more questions about how to get fans of their games’ TV and movie adaptations to play their games, said Pulman.
Hasbro Inc. spent years producing and financing film and TV projects based on its toys, including the successful “Transformers” film franchise. While the company will still license its games for projects, it won’t fully finance them anymore. For its upcoming Netflix series based on the Magic: The Gathering card game, Hasbro is taking a more targeted approach to attracting new audiences.
“Just getting an epic show isn’t enough,” said Rebecca Shepard, vice president of the “Magic” franchise. Hasbro is considering digital play experiences and merchandise for existing players as well as people who might be intimidated by the card game.
D’Anastasio writers for Bloomberg.
The luxury shopping center in Pacific Palisades will reopen next month after more than $100 million in renovations forced by the January 2025 wildfire that devastated the Los Angeles neighborhood.
Palisades Village will reopen Aug. 15, owner Rick Caruso announced Wednesday. The outdoor center survived the blaze that destroyed homes and other businesses but needed refurbishment to eliminate contaminants that the fire could have spread.
Crews are putting finishing touches on mall buildings after tearing them down to the studs, treating the wood and rebuilding the walls, Caruso said.
“Everybody’s working, and stores are moving their products in,” he said. “It’s a really cool feeling that people have really locked arms and are working together.”
An electrician installs lighting for a restaurant at Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village on Thursday. The shopping center is scheduled to reopen mid-August.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Pacific Palisades resident Allison Polhill, who is rebuilding the home of 30 years that her family lost in the blaze, said she is “thrilled” at the prospect of returning to the mall she used to frequent. Its comeback is a boost for the community, she said.
“Every single step that we make to reopen our commercial corridors is going to bring more people back into the Palisades,” said Polhill, who expects to move back into her home at the end of August.
A total of 6,822 structures were destroyed in the Palisades fire, including more than 5,500 residences and 100 commercial businesses, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Caruso previously attributed the mall’s survival to the hard work of private firefighters and the fire-resistant materials used in the mall’s construction.
The $200-million shopping and dining center opened in 2018 with a movie theater and a roster of upmarket tenants, including Erewhon, which may be the only grocer in the heart of the fire-ravaged neighborhood when it opens.
Caruso’s company was able to fill the mall with tenants despite the long shutdown.
Palisades Village is 99% leased, with the majority of tenants returning, said Jackie Levy, chief financial and revenue officer. Nearly one-third of the shops and restaurants are new to the property.
A firefighter carries a hose back to his rig while walking through a destroyed home from the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Last year, Pacific Palisades-based fashion designer Elyse Walker said she would reopen her eponymous store in Palisades Village after losing her 25-year flagship location on Antioch Street to the inferno.
Other neighborhood shops destroyed in the fire that are reopening at the mall include K Bakery and Loomey’s Toys, which caters to children up to age 12 and used to be across the street from Palisades Elementary Charter School.
“It’s been a journey and I’m excited because I wasn’t sure that there was going to be a place to come back to,” said toy store owner Amanda Rastegar. “Hopefully we can bring some of that magic back.”
Rastegar’s home in the Palisades survived but was damaged by the fire. The family returned about eight weeks ago. Her last memory of the fire was a burning supermarket.
“I just couldn’t wrap my brain around what was happening,” she said. “By the time I left, Gelson’s was on fire.”
Among the returning tenants is Angelini Ristorante & Bar. Well-known Los Angeles chef Gino Angelini said he will be in the kitchen next month for a return of the Italian restaurant.
“We won’t do a big celebrity open,” he said. “We want to have a very soft opening and see our customers come back.”
Construction takes place at Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village on Thursday. The shopping center is scheduled to reopen mid-August.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
An elaborate celebration would not feel “correct for me,” Angelini said, because the devastation has been “very sad” for so many.
Other new tenants include local chef Nancy Silverton, who has agreed to move in with a new Italian steakhouse called Spacca Tutto. Women’s activewear retailer LESET will open its first West Coast location.
Caruso said he is optimistic that customers will return to the center, even though many Pacific Palisades residents are still dispersed. One tracking system estimated that about 30% of the Village’s customer base was impacted by the fire, he said.
“That means 70% did not get impacted, so there’s a lot of customers still left out there,” Caruso said. Historically, the center drew customers from as far away as Beverly Hills and Calabasas, as well as Malibu, Brentwood and Santa Monica.
He also hopes many will be inspired to visit the revived mall.
“I believe in the goodness of people and I believe that people are going to want to support the Palisades,” he said. “They’re going to want to be there and support the businesses that have had the courage and the heart to reopen.”
Walmart is rapidly expanding its network of electric vehicle chargers designed for customers to use while they shop.
The network could help fill gaps in EV infrastructure in states with greater need for chargers. Walmart, which has more than 5,000 locations in the U.S. and hundreds in California, says more than 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of one of its stores.
The chargers also offer an incentive for customers to choose Walmart — Walmart Plus members will receive a 10% discount off an average price of $0.46 per kilowatt-hour of energy at the company’s chargers.
Walmart chargers are already available at more than 75 locations in 17 states, with Texas boasting the most charging stations, followed by Florida and Arizona.
Matthew Nelson, Walmart’s director of energy policy, said last week on LinkedIn that the network will soon reach 29 states, including California.
“We are delivering on the promise of affordable, reliable and convenient charging,” Nelson said in his post.
According to Walmart’s website, six charging stations are coming to California soon, though the company did not offer a specific timeline.
The chargers will be installed at stores in Antelope, Brea, Fresno, Stockton, Suisun City and Vallejo.
Most charging sites in California will include eight to 16 fast-charging stalls, said Walmart spokesperson Kelsey Bohl.
The company first announced plans in April 2023 to install its own EV chargers at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, with a goal of installing thousands of chargers by 2030. Partnering with ABB E-Mobility and Alpitronic, it added 25 new charging sites this past May and six more in June.
“Walmart is building a leading retail-integrated EV fast-charging network, focused on delivering an affordable, reliable and convenient charging experience where customers already shop,” Bohl said in an emailed statement. “Customers can charge while they shop, access stations through the Walmart app they already use, and benefit from affordable pricing.”
The charging stations already available include 612 individual charging stalls using 400-kilowatt chargers. Each stall has a dual charging cord with both Combined Charging System and North American Charging Standard connectors. The standard connectors, designed by Tesla, are smaller and lighter than the combined systems.
The primary way to pay for the chargers is through the Walmart app, but the company is also experimenting with built-in credit card readers to allow those without the app to use the stations.
Customers can check charger availability on the Walmart app. The company said the chargers will be available 24 hours a day.
Robotaxis could be turning into robocops.
A self-driving Waymo reported two teens to San Mateo, Calif., police on Monday after they were found drinking alcohol and shooting toy guns in the back of the vehicle.
According to a social media post from the San Mateo Police Department, officers detained two 15-year-olds after the Waymo they were riding in contacted the department and stopped in a parking lot until law enforcement arrived.
“Parents do you know where your teens are?” the San Mateo Police Department wrote on Facebook following the incident. “Waymo does!”
Officers removed both teens from the vehicle and determined they were using toy guns to shoot Orbeez out the windows. Orbeez are small, water-absorbing beads sold at toy stores.
“Toy guns, water guns, and BB guns all pose real dangers, especially to an untrained eye,” the Police Department said. “The simple handling of them can cause fear in [passersby].” “
A video posted on Facebook shows at least five officers and a police dog responding to the scene and approaching the Waymo with their weapons raised.
Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Waymo vehicles have internal cameras and microphones that may be used in an emergency or to “promote safety and security,” according to Waymo’s online support page.
The cameras are also used to ensure the vehicles are clean and to help find lost items, according to the support page.
The company said it does not use facial recognition or other biometric identification technologies to identify individuals.
“In more urgent circumstances, support may access live video during a trip,” the Waymo page said.
The San Mateo Police Department’s Facebook post has garnered nearly 60 comments, with one user accusing Waymo of “snitching.”
“At least they got a designated driver?!” one user commented.
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