Last November, Netflix debuted Arcane, an animated series based on Riot Games’ MOBA League of Legends. The show just swept the Annie Awards with nine wins, cementing its place as a quality program. Riot Games has taken note too, and it now owns a big chunk of Fortiche Productions, the French company that crafted the show.
Announced via press release, “Riot now holds a significant non-controlling stake in Fortiche.” Riot isn’t in control of the production house by any means, but it’s clearly invested in the company’s future. As part of the deal, Fortiche’s board of directors has added seats for two Riot Games executives: CCO Brian Wright and Director of Corporate Development Brendan Mulligan. This partnership will drive the second season of Arcane as well as “other to-be-announced projects.”
Arcane wasn’t the first collaboration between Riot and Fortiche. The animation studio created character showcases and music videos featuring League of Legends heroes going back nearly a decade. This led to Fortiche co-founders Pascal Charrue, Jérôme Combe, and Arnaud Delord readily accepting Riot’s investment. “In 2023, we will celebrate ten years of collaboration,” they said. “There is no better way to symbolize the trust and ambitions of our two companies than this association.”
If you’ve been reading this article and thinking that the name Fortiche reminds you of Fortnite, you’re on the right track. League of Legends and Arcane character Jinx crossed over into the battle royale game last fall. Vi did the same back in January.
