Arcane season 2 concluded with the start of act 3 yesterday, also affirming a significant fan hypothesis that players of League of Legends had proposed.
If you have not yet finished the show, I recommend you stop reading now, as there will be important spoilers for episode 7 and beyond ahead.
Arcane is based on the popular MOBA, League of Legends. The series has taken many creative freedoms, adjusting the lore as it sees fit to avoid confusing newcomers. While this might not please the hardcore fans of the game, they should be quite satisfied with act 3 as it incorporates Ekko’s true in-game ability to help him save the day.
In LoL, Ekko’s abilities rely on his Z-Drive (Zero Drive), which allows him to manipulate time for an advantage against his rivals. As noted by Dexerto, in Arcane, Ekko, Jayce, and Heimerdinger are thrust into an anomaly and sent to an alternate universe during act 1. They are absent in act 2 and make a victorious return in act 3, episode 7.
In this new universe, Ekko revisits the site of the heist from season 1 and retrieves some Hextech embedded in the walls. After experimenting with Jayce’s acceleration rune, he realizes he can reverse time by up to four seconds, the same duration he can manage in the game. This validates a fan theory that we would indeed see him utilize the Z-Drive in the series.
If you have not completed act 3 yet, I will refrain from revealing the details of exactly how he ends up using the Z-Drive, but it’s an excellent addition for fans of the game.
Once you’ve completed Arcane, let me know your thoughts.