Fans will soon be able to jump back into the world of Arcane with this new venture from the creators of the show.
Despite being one of the most critically acclaimed video game adaptations of all time, Netflix's animated take on the League of Legends franchise came to an end in 2024 with the release of its action-packed second season.
While there has been mention of spin-offs on the way following Season 2's release, exact specifics of where those could go and when fans may see them have been scarce. This has left an Arcane-sized void in audiences' hearts as they await to see what will come of these characters beyond the mainline TV series.
A New Arcane Adventure Announced
Months after its second and final season came to an end on Netflix, Riot Games revealed the next chapter to be written in the Arcane story.
In a new press release, the League of Legends studio announced that fans will be able to get another taste of Arcane thanks to a new novel from author C.L. Clark. centered on Season 2's primary villain, Ambessa Medarda.
According to Riot, Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf is available for purchase in the U.S. and the UK as of Monday, March 3, 2025.
The book sets itself in the Arcane world, ten years before the events of the show, and follows Ambessa as she climbs the ranks of the Medarda family to become the fearless military leader fans see her as during the events of the show.
The official synopsis sets up a tale of war for Ambessa and her family, as she takes on "her cousin and former confidante, Ta'Fik," who is also vying for the claim to lead the Medarda clan:
"Ambessa Medarda: Warrior, general, mother. She is a woman to be feared, and the Medardas are unrivaled in their pursuit of glory. She has led conquests and armies. She has slain legendary beasts. She has made grave sacrifices in her ascent up the ranks. And for this she was rewarded: She entered the realm of death and was granted a vision of herself upon the throne of the vast Noxian empire.
But before she can lead her empire, she must become head of her own clan. Yet the title is contested by her cousin and former confidante, Ta’Fik. He knows the bloody sins of Ambessa’s past. And he knows he cannot allow her to rise."
The book hints at a fellow Arcane original character joining the fray during its story: Ambessa's on-screen daughter, Mel.
"Mel, can deftly break through the walls around anyone’s heart, and she’ll put her talents to use for her mother," Riot teased, adding that despite Mel trying to help Ambessa, "Ambessa sees only a child who lacks her killer instincts:"
"They will fight a war for the very soul of the Medardas.
But the war won’t be fought on battlefields alone. Ambessa’s daughter, Mel, can deftly break through the walls around anyone’s heart, and she’ll put her talents to use for her mother. Yet despite Mel’s strength, Ambessa sees only a child who lacks her killer instincts. Mel knows she can be the leader Ambessa wants her to be, if only she gives her time.
With her family betraying her, enemies closing in on all sides, and unseen forces moving in the shadows, every day proves more dangerous than the last. But Ambessa will not bow. She will burn the world down to claim her place in it."
What Does the Future of Arcane Look Like?
The Ambessa book marks the first true extension of the Arcane story since the series came to a close in November 2024 and could serve as the perfect setup to some of the potential TV spin-offs from the series that have been alluded to.
One of the primary theories going around about future stories told in the Arcane universe has been that they will focus on the Medarda clan (specifically Mel) as she heads back to her home of Noxus following the war seen in Arcane Season 2.
That would make sense, given that projects like this new Ambessa-focused book, along with Mel and her mother coming to the League of Legends game as a part of a greater Noxus-focused 2025 season (read more about the Welcome to Noxus League event here), are the first things seeing the light of day post-Arcane Season 2.
All the focus the Medardas are getting in the wake of the show's finale could potentially be Riot and the Arcane/League of Legends team priming the pump for a greater push into the world of the Noxian royals in whatever plans they have for the Arcane world.
However, with recent word that Riot has "scaled back" its TV/movie plans and reports that the acclaimed Netflix series was a significant "financial miss" for the company, who is to say that fans will get anything Arcane-related going forward beyond projects like this new novel?
For now, audiences will just have to wait to find out what is next for the Arcane universe. Perhaps this new Ambessa book will be just the first in a larger narrative expansion for the franchise, potentially picking up on narrative threads left over from the mainline Netflix series (like what exactly happened to Ella Purnell's Jinx).
Ambessa: Chosen Of The Wolf is now available in bookstores in the U.S. and the UK, and both seasons of Arcane are streaming now on Netflix.
