Riot Games invests in “Arcane” animation studio Fortiche Production

League of Legends developer and publisher Riot Games announced that it has made an equity investment in Fortiche Production, the animation studio behind Arcane and many League videos. 

Founded in 2009 in Paris by Pascal Charrue, Jérôme Combe, and Arnaud Delord, Fortiche is the animation studio behind Netflix’s Arcane, the animated event series developed and produced by Riot Games based upon League of Legends.

Riot says Arcane premiered at #1 globally on Netflix in November, 2021 and held the top spot for three weeks in a row hitting the top 10 in over 52 countries.

“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 one, Fortiche has exemplified Player Experience First. In working with Fortiche, we collaborate to push the boundaries of what’s possible and raise expectations for how games can be represented in media. As proud as we are of Arcane, we know the best is yet to come.” 

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but Riot said it now holds a significant non-controlling stake in Fortiche. 

Including 350 employees and collaborators in Paris, Montpellier, and Las Palmas, Spain, Fortiche will continue to operate independently from Riot aside from Riot’s positions on the board of directors.

“The various collaborations with Riot Games, and especially Arcane, have made Fortiche Production a new major player on the international animation scene. 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. In 2023, we will celebrate ten years of collaboration: there is no better way to symbolize the trust and ambitions of our two companies than this association!” said Pascal Charrue, Jérôme Combe, and Arnaud Delord, co-founders of Fortiche.