Queerbaiting and Fandom: The Influence of the Community on LGBTQ+ Representation in Arcane, the League of Legends Video Game Series
Abstract
Arcane (Netflix, 2021–2024) adapts characters from League of Legends and, in that transition, reconfigures their identities under the influence of the fandom. We explore how Reddit conversations have intervened in the construction and evolution of these characters, with particular attention to Caitlyn and Vi: a relationship absent in the original game that the community stitched together and popularized until it became a centerpiece of the series. We posit a fanon–canon loop: fans’ readings and desires orient traits and bonds that are later consolidated in official products. Drawing on qualitative analysis of discussions, we show how the fandom normalizes diversity as something natural, demands explicitness free of harmful tropes, and operates as a collective workshop of meaning (nicknames, fanart, ethical debates). We assess the relevance of this fan agency in the evolution of the characters and in the explicit or implicit canonization of their relationship in Arcane.
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