Netflix 
Riot Games 
ARCANE 
Riot Games is the company best known for the hugely popular “League of Legends” video game series, but it’s also making a name for itself as a TV show producer. The Netflix series “Arcane” is just the first step in Riot’s bid to traverse the risky nexus of entertainment and gaming. Marc Merrill, co-founder and president of games, and Shauna Spenly, head of entertainment, discussed their strategy in a joint interview recorded last month at the Variety Gaming & Entertainment Breakfast, presented by...
Riot Games
Shauna
Spenley
President, Entertainment
After joining Riot Games in December 2020, Netflix longtimer Spenley secured a deal with the streamer for “Arcane,” Riot’s first series based on its “League of Legends” IP. The animated original proved an immediate hit on Netflix in November 2021, joining other gaming-adjacent IP as “Castlevania” and “The Witcher,” which have been received well on the streamer. “Arcane” went on to win an Emmy for outstanding animated program, making it the first series from a streaming service to do so and the first adaptation of a gaming franchise to achieve an Emmy award. In addition to adaptations of Riot’s IP, Spenley oversees music commissioned for gaming-related shows and Riot-adjacent events, having launched singles from Imagine Dragons, Porter Robinson and Lil Nas X.
