RiotX Arcane

Objective

Riot Games leveraged the global premiere of its first animated series, Arcane, on Netflix to create a month-long cross-platform campaign that unified its entire gaming portfolio around a shared narrative experience. The objective was to build audience anticipation across the three-act Netflix release schedule while deepening engagement with loyal players and introducing skeptics to the gaming community through synchronized digital and physical activations.

Solution

North Kingdom designed RiotX Arcane as a progressive narrative hub where gameplay unlocked sequentially over several weeks in synchronization with Netflix's episode releases. Players engaged with minigames, character dialogue sequences, hidden easter eggs, and quest lines embedded within League of Legends, Valorant, and other Riot game clients. The campaign extended beyond digital with a 360-degree IMAX premiere event in Los Angeles, Hex Expo pop-up storefronts featuring AR experiences in six global cities (Paris, London, Madrid, Istanbul, Singapore), livestreamed Twitch drops offering in-game rewards, and Secret Cinema immersive experiences at the finale event in Pasadena alongside a charity esports tournament and live music performances.

Results

The campaign drove 15.4 million gameplay sessions with 4.4 million unique participants, averaging 9 minutes 45 seconds per session, with 124 million in-game rewards distributed. Riot recorded 3 billion hours of total gameplay in November 2021. The campaign generated 144.3 million organic engagements and achieved a 542% increase in weekly social mentions compared to League of Legends average. The Arcane series reached #1 on Netflix's Top 10 in over 50 countries, with the initiative involving 40 global partners and approximately 3,500 Riot employees worldwide.