Arcane introduced viewers to the mysterious power of Hextech, but what is this and how can it be manipulated? The city of Piltover was radically changed over the course of Arcane season 1, largely as a result of the work of Jayce. A scientist hailing from House Talis, Jayce became fascinated by the potential power of magic - that is to say, the Arcane. He pressed on with his discoveries despite the reservations of Heimderdinger, and soon his "Hextech" had become the foundation of Piltover's economy.

The problem with Hextech, of course, is that this is science fused with magic. That means it's unstable and unpredictable, and it's frankly unclear whether the laws of the physical realm still apply to it. Though Jayce doesn't necessarily realize it, he is drawing power from other realms of existence, and there's an inherent danger to that - one that could mean Piltover suffers in Arcane season 2.

Arcane's "Magic" Is Power Drawn From The Planes Of Existence

To understand Hextech, you first have to understand how magic works in Arcane. The mechanics of this magic system are drawn from the League of Legends game, although they may not be identical. There are four different realms of existence in League of Legends, and magic involves the manipulation of power from some of them:

Hextech fuses the elemental magic of the Material Realm with the raw power of the Spirit Realm. The primary shape associated with Hextech corresponds with a rune from League of Legends, the Innovation Rune, which perhaps implies that it is indeed an idea - springing from Jayce's mind - that has been given physical form. If this is indeed the case, then the potential power of Hextech grows as more and more people are captured by the ideas it represents.

Magical Power Is Manipulated Through Runes

In Arcane, magical power is primarily manipulated through the use of runes. This, too, is drawn from League of Legends; there, the runes are enhancements that can add new abilities or buffs to a person. There are five basic rune "paths" in the game, linked to different colors:

Jayce saw these runes used by a sorcerer to create a portal, and he became captivated with this idea, attempting to recreate it; notice that blue has become the trademark color of his Hextech, representing inspiration. This corresponds with the shape of the portal generators he created, which matches with the inspiration rune. Arcane, then, is all about the unlocking of inspiration - in a way that has the potential to cause untold destruction if it goes wrong.

Hextech Uses Runes To Contain & Manipulate Magical Power

Hextech essentially refines the use of runes into a scientific system. Using the runes, Jayce has learned to draw the power of the Physical and Spirit Realms into contained spheres, which he can then use as power sources for incredible technology. The initial spheres were unstable, and the slightest physical impact had the potential to cause a spontaneous, destructive energy release - as Powder learned when she first stole spheres from Jayce.

The challenge facing Jayce was a simple one: could he find a way to stabilize the spheres, allowing them to be safely used as power sources? He eventually cracked this in Arcane season 1, and this discovery became the basis of Hextech. Disturbingly, at this stage there's no evidence the power contained within these spheres can be used up; if that's the case, then their properties operate in a completely different way to the laws of nature. Jayce is still tampering with forces he does not understand.

The Hexcore Is The Next Evolution Of Hextech

The Hexcore - also called an "adaptive rune matrix" - is the next evolution of Hextech. This is created by the addition of organic matter to the rune-casting process, and the Hexcore has the potential to grow, learn, evolve, and even infect. Attentive viewers will have spotted four of the runes inscribed on the outside of the failed Hexcore: the runes for precision, domination, sorcery, and resolve. The inspiration rune was notably absent, and presumably needed to be added to stabilize it.

In League of Legends, the Hex Core is primarily associated with Viktor. He starts out with an unsaleable item, the "Prototype Hex Core," which can be upgraded to give him additional abilities. It can ultimately be transformed into the "Perfect Hex Core," a legendary item that grants him unique powers. It's reasonable to assume Viktor will become closely tied to the Hexcore in Arcane season 2.

The problem, though, is that Jayce and Viktor have evolved Hextech without taking the time to fully understand how their own science works. They are blending the power of two realms, realms that are not supposed to interact to this degree. What's more, they're doing so without understanding some of the key variables. As an example, in League of Legends magic flows through ley-lines that cross the surface of the world; how would these ley-lines interact with Hextech, or even with a Hexcore?

It's easy to imagine a scenario where the continued evolution of Hextech ultimately leads to the boundaries between the different realms breaking down. While that is surely primarily true for the Material and Spirit Realms - the two Jayce is experimenting with - the breakdown in such boundaries could allow power to flow in from other Realms too. The worst-case scenario in Arcane season 2 is the unleashing of the Void, which would potentially bring about the destruction of all Piltover - a chilling possibility that means the stakes are far higher than Jayce realizes.