Riot Games has announced its equity investment into the animation studio behind its League of Legends-inspired Netflix show “Arcane,” Fortiche Production, on Monday. The developer now owns a “significant non-controlling stake” in the studio in an investment that closed in early 2022.
As a result, Brian Wright, the Chief Content Officer at Riot, and Brendan Mulligan, the Director of Corporate Development at Riot, will join Fortiche Production’s board of directors according to Riot’s press release.
We're proud to announce that we've invested in Fortiche Production, the incredible animation studio that brought a spectrum of talent ranging from @arcaneshow to moments like "Get Jinxed"! https://t.co/VVhjTxmftY pic.twitter.com/tjQoSI87a0
— Riot Games (@riotgames) March 14, 2022
“The various collaborations with Riot Games, and especially Arcane, have made Fortiche Production a new major player on the international animation scene,” Pascal Charrue, Jérôme Combe, and Arnaud Delord, co-founders of Fortiche said in the announcement. “Riot Games, by trusting us, has given us the means to achieve our common ambitions and has shown that it is possible to offer new content that can reach a large audience.”
Fortiche has worked with Riot Games since 2013, long before “Arcane” went into production, with credits on the music videos for “Get Jinxed,” “WARRIORS” and “RISE” among others. The animation studio will remain independent in terms of operations from Riot, aside from the new board members, according to the press release.
“Fortiche has been an integral partner for a long time, but this agreement ensures we’ll be working closely for decades to come,” said Nicolo Laurent, CEO of Riot. “We hold a high bar for everyone we work with and insist they understand players deeply and focus on them relentlessly, and from Day 1, Fortiche has exemplified Player Experience First.”
Riot and Fortiche have already announced that a second season of “Arcane” is on the way, along with other yet-to-be-announced projects.
“Arcane” has won nine Annie Awards, a part of the International Animated Film Association that give awards to recognize “excellence in animation shown in cinema and television” according to its website, and sat at No.1 globally in viewership on Netflix in November.
