Huge changes seem to await the long-running One Piece series, as the anime is all set to go on a hiatus in 2026. The fan-favorite animated show, which made its small-screen debut in 1999 and has since spawned over 1,100 episodes, will not only take a brief break from airing fresh content but will also adopt a new release pattern upon its return.
One Piece anime to go on a break soon
On October 28, the official YouTube channel of One Piece streamed a 42-minute broadcast, in which Toei Animation, the studio responsible for producing the beloved series, confirmed that the anime will undergo a three-month production hiatus between January and March 2026.
As such, the series will resume airing new episodes in April 2026 by kicking off the first cour of the Elbaph arc.
One Piece to release a maximum of ’26 episodes per year’ starting from April 2026
In addition to the hiatus, One Piece is also embracing an updated release pattern that will result in a significant drop in the yearly episode count of the series. Instead of airing a new episode on a weekly basis, One Piece will now be “capped to maximum 26 episodes per year starting in 2026.”
The idea behind this massive revamp is to enhance the coherence of the long-running anime’s narrative, which has experienced a significant increase in filler episodes and repetitive recaps over the past few years. According to series producer Ryūta Koike, this move is a “strategic decision to support the advancement and evolution of the anime series.”
Further explaining the need for this change, Toei added, “The anime is based on the manga, and historically, 11-12 episodes would encompass 4-5 volumes of the manga. Going forward, under the two-cours structure, new episodes will incorporate more content, tempo, and pacing of the manga while continuing to leverage the unique storytelling that is only possible with animation.”
