Gab Hernandez 
Despite its popularity, not everybody got to see Arcane the way its creators intended due to strict censorship laws.
Arcane rose to #1 on Netflix in multiple countries and stayed there for its entire run. For all the hype around its beautiful animation and catchy soundtrack, the characters were the biggest draws for fans. The complex relationships between iconic League of Legends champions gave the lore a depth it never had before.
Among those complex relationships was the one between Caitlyn and Vi. The romance between Caitlyn and Vi has been teased in League of Legends lore but never focused on until Arcane. Season 2 took the romance further with an on-screen kiss and a surprisingly intimate scene in a prison cell.
While many Arcane fans rejoiced, those watching from China reportedly never got to see the kiss due to censorship.
Why did Arcane Season 2 have censorship in China?
The Chinese release of Arcane was censored due to strict laws around the depiction of LGBTQ+ characters. Most Arcane fans saw the long-awaited kiss between Caitlyn and Vi in Episode 3. The same could not be said for fans in China, who did not see the scene at all, as reported by Chinese-speaking users on Reddit.
In the episode’s comment section on the popular Chinese streaming platform Tencent Video, a comment thread featured users wondering where the kiss scene went. “Why delete this? Can’t we see this part?” stated the first comment, showcasing an image of Caitlyn and Vi kissing.
More concrete was the strange censorship of Caitlyn and Vi’s final scene together in Season 3. In the original cut, Caitlyn leaned on Vi’s shoulder for comfort in a vulnerable conversation. Vi did not have Caitlyn leaning on her shoulder in a clip reportedly sourced from bilibili, a popular video platform in China. While odd, the next scene, featuring Caitlyn awkwardly resting her head on empty air, drew the most ire from fans.
Many wondered why the censorship for Arcane bothered including the scene in the first place. Fans felt it looked too bizarre and immersion-breaking, prompting some to wish it had been removed altogether. Others argued the censorship for Arcane was a compromise to depict LGBTQ+ characters rather than removing them outright.
Riot has toned down LGBTQ+ characters in League of Legends before
Riot has openly admitted to adjusting the depiction of LGBTQ+ content for certain countries. In a 2022 interview with Sky, executive producer Jeremy Lee revealed words like “lover” were replaced with “partner” for LGBTQ+ characters in specific countries for League of Legends. This was especially apparent with K’sante, Riot’s first gay black champion.
The censorship of LGBTQ+ characters remains a complicated knot for Riot, and it likely won’t be untied anytime soon.
