Arcane Is Coming To VOD And 4K Blu-Ray - A Big Rarity For A Netflix Show

If anyone still thought there was such a thing as a video game adaptation curse back in 2021, then "Arcane" put the final nail in the concept's coffin. Riot Games and Studio Fortiche's adaptation of the hugely popular video game "League of Legends" was not just a phenomenal translation of the games' world and mythos, but a perfect season of television, period. It was a visually stunning animated epic with a poignant story about two sisters divided by war, featuring some of the most striking animation in either film or television, thrilling music, and a vibrant use of color and lighting. 

While we continue to wait for "Arcane" season 2, there's finally something else you can do besides rewatching that fantastic trailer over and over again. At the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Oscar-winning animation distributor GKIDS have announced that they acquired global (minus China) rights to home video releases for "Arcane" – and the first season is getting released this year. GKIDS will be releasing everything from digital to premium editions, including a "4K version exclusive to the home entertainment release," details of which will be announced later this year.  Given how, even with the best internet speeds, streaming codecs always make for the lesser image, those wanting the best possible version of "Arcane" should pay attention to this news, which is extremely rare for a Netflix title.

"We are MONSTER fans of the series, and our team is having a blast collaborating with the creatives at Riot and Fortiche to put together an amazing package for the fans," GKIDS founder and CEO Eric Beckman said in a statement. "This project was dreamt up on the lawn by the lake at Annecy, so we are extra happy to be able to announce this collaboration at the festival and true home of animation."

This news is extremely rare for Netflix, and for streaming shows in general. One of the worst things to come out of the streaming era is a lack of physical releases. This only makes the deletion of titles easier, threatening to bring back the classic era of Hollywood when beloved movies would disappear forever every other day. When it comes to Netflix, the streamer's many, many original titles are only available on their platform (until they pull a Zaslav and decide to hit the delete button). Granted, there are a few exceptions, like movies getting released by the Criterion Collection, including "Roma" and "Pinocchio." Mike Flanagan's Netflix shows "The Haunting of Hill House" and "The Haunting of Bly Manor" got Blu-ray releases as they were produced by Paramount, but "Midnight Mass," "The Midnight Club," and "The Fall of the House of Usher" are only available physically if you buy a bootleg copy (something Flanagan himself approves of). 

Physical media is media preservation; without it, studios have the power to erase titles from existence. Even the best efforts from our finest filmmakers like Martin Scorsese aren't enough to save all the old classics from being lost. Fortunately "Arcane" season 1 will soon be available for everyone to archive.