One Piece Anime Turns Seasonal From 2026: Here’s What Has Changed

• One Piece anime to reduce episodes to adhere to a yearly format from April 2026.
• Elbaph arc to launch in April 2026, after a 3-month break.
• Netflix’s live-action Season 2 release was also confirmed for March 10, 2026.

One Piece, the world's longest running anime, will now officially shift to a new output schedule, confirms Toei Animation. The anime's next major arc is to launch in April 2026, from where the series will reduce its annual episode output to 26 episodes per year.

Toei producer Ryūta Koike announced the schedule change during a One Piece News livestream earlier this week. Fans have been closely watching the updates for One Piece anime as the studio has been announcing spin offs, reboots and change in release schedules.

The anime will also go on a three-month production hiatus, starting from January through March 2026, before returning with the “Elbaph” arc. The studio says that the change will improve One Piece’s “content, tempo, and the pacing of the manga,” as they strive to adhere to a unique storytelling that is only possible through animation.

One Piece Anime’s Biggest Schedule Change Ever

This change in episode output is part of a larger revamp of the One Piece anime release schedule, which will now follow a seasonal structure rather than the traditional weekly schedule. In 2025, the series will potentially have 38 episodes before the conclusion of the Egghead Arc, out of which 33 are canon and 5 are specials.

With the One Piece anime already exceeding 1,000 episodes, many fans are curious about the overall number of episodes in the next seasons, especially as the pacing improves to better align with the manga.

The 26-episode cap will be applied from 2026, while the hiatus will serve as a "recharge period" before the release of the new arc in April. The new arc is supposed to be split into two quarters of a year and is expected to be released separately throughout the year. 

A major artwork for the Elbaph arc was also released, showing Luffy dressed as a viking. Possibly to soften the blow of the schedule change, the makers have also dropped the first look at the new outfits of the entire Strawhats crew for the next arc. Fans may not be happy with the drop in the episode numbers, but are looking forward to the better pacing, which is expected to match the chapter releases.

One Piece Anime: Upcoming Ventures, Netflix Live-Action Season 2 Updates

The announcement of this shift comes at a key time as the One Piece anime is going through a transition with another production, sort of a reboot, by Wit Studios. This anime remake's release date has not yet been officially announced, but rumors suggest a 2026 debut.

In the meantime, Netflix has announced that the second season of the One Piece live-action series, Into the Grand Line, would debut globally on March 10, 2026. The new season is expected to cover several important arcs, including Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Capes), Whiskey Peak, Little Island, and Drum Island, as per Oda’s statement shared by Netflix.

The makers have also confirmed an early renewal of Season 3 of the One Piece live–action, and its production is set to begin in Cape Town later in 2025.