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Arcane season 2 Act 1 premiered on Netflix on November 9, 2024. Season 2, split into three acts, will be released throughout November. Act 1 features episode 1, Heavy Is The Crown, episode 2, Watch It All Burn, and episode 3, Finally Got The Name Right.
Arcane's season 2 premiere episode picks up right after the events of the season 1 finale, in which Jinx attacks the Piltover council. Jinx's actions have a domino effect that sets the stage for the imminent war between Piltover and Zaun.
As the two cities inch closer towards war, citizens experience the ending of old partnerships, forming of new alliances, and unleashing of the monster within.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Arcane season 2 Act 1.
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Vi and Jinx's relationship deteriorates further in Arcane season 2 Act 1
Jinx's impulsive attack on the Piltover council leads to the deaths of three council members, including Caitlyn's mother Cassandra Kiramman. A devastated Caitlyn is overcome with the strong desire to exact revenge on all Zaunites. But, Vi dissuades her by telling Caitlyn to direct her anger at the real culprit, Jinx.
Piltover's elite quickly assemble to plan their next military action to crack down on Zaun. Despite being a Zaunite, Vi takes up arms on the side of the Piltovers. Later, Vi and Caitlyn face off against Jinx and the Zaunite enforcer, Sevika. Although hateful, Vi cannot get herself to harm her little sister or let anyone else do the same.
The brewing romance between Vi and Caitlyn culminates in a kiss in Arcane season 2 Act 1. However, Vi's anguish seems to only deepen with time as she chooses between protecting her sister, Jinx, and her lover, Caitlyn.
Meanwhile, Silco's death leaves a power vacuum in the undercity of Zaun and, as expected, the city's other criminals step up to take his place. They mostly clash amongst themselves and end up wreaking more havoc in the already-ravaged city.
Also Read: Arcane season 1 ending explained - Do Vi and Jinx reconcile in the end?
Viktor finds his true purpose in Arcane season 2 Act 1
Viktor narrowly escapes the council bombing, but is severely injured and is restored back to life with Hexcore. However, he is no longer the same person as before. Guilt-ridden that Sky died from the same technology that saved his life, Viktor becomes despondent. He cuts ties with Jayce by telling him, "Our paths diverged long ago" and leaves the lab for good.
While walking along the desolate streets of Zaun, Viktor gets accosted by a group of thieves. When he lays his hand on one of them, a Shimmer addict named Huck, a powerful force flows through his hand and heals Huck of all his ailments.
He realizes that the power of Hextech is embedded in his body now, giving him magical powers that can be transmitted through a simple touch. From then onwards, Viktor becomes a messianic-like figure, while the former thieves become his followers.
Jayce Talis, on the other hand, devotes all of his time to working on Hextech. One day, he is visited by his old mentor, Heimerdinger and Ekko, the young leader of the Fireflies. They bring him to the headquarters of Firefly, which is a masked vigilante group fighting against the drug lords of Zaun.
There, the three men stumble upon a new realization - the new wild magic exists to counterbalance the increase in the magic-harnessing Hextech. The implications of their discovery will be explored in depth in the coming episodes of the series.
Ambessa is the new power player in Arcane season 2 Act 1
Mel Medarda's mother, Ambessa, is a ruthlessly ambitious Noxian woman who arrived in Piltover in season 1 episode 7. As depicted in the first few episodes of season 2, she is a master manipulator who has no qualms in using others to her advantage.
Ambessa was driven out of her home country of Noxus from the same faction that killed her son, Kino. She has lofty ambitions in Piltover and Mel often gets in the way of her nefarious plans.
When Mel is kidnapped by the Black Rose at the end of Arcane season 2 Act 1, Ambessa uses the opportunity to exert more control over the city council. She also installs Caitlyn as the new commander-in-chief to leverage her hatred for the Zaunites.
The season's third episode also reveals that Ambessa was the one to orchestrate the attack during memorial service. Her plan was to enrage the Piltovers enough to justify using the dangerous Hextech weapons against the Zaunites. But, her true endgame is to get control of Hextech in her quest for ultimate power and domination.
Singed creates Warwick in Arcane season 2 Act 1
Throughout Arcane season 2 Act 1, the wicked scientist, Singed, performs chemical experiments on a beastly creature chained in a remote, underground location. He kills wolves and uses their body parts to conduct experiments before transforming them into the beast. Next, he transfuses his blood into the monster's body.
The bloodthirsty beast, Warwick, known from the League of Legends lore comes to life at the end of Act 1.
Read more: Arcane season 2: Complete cast and character guide
Stay tuned for more updates on Arcane season 2 Act 1 and other trending news of 2024.
