Toei Animation has announced a major production overhaul for the One Piece anime in 2026, moving from weekly episodes to a seasonal format.

While the One Piece anime’s next big break is confirmed, it isn’t the last one to expect. Among everything else that was revealed, the One Piece account also confirmed that following the break, fans should now only expect 26 episodes in a year. In other words, a 6-month break will be a yearly occurrence.

One Piece's biggest problem is finally going to get fixed with the changes to the anime's schedule moving forward

After 26 years of uninterrupted adventure, the anime that defined an era is finally slowing down, not because it's fading but because it's evolving. The shift marks more than just a scheduling change.

One Piece anime just dropped the biggest schedule change in its 26-year history. After decades of weekly episodes, the show is going seasonal starting in 2026.

Going forward, One Piece will produce two seasons every year for a maximum of 26 episodes. Toei says this will help the anime "dive even deeper into the heart of the ONE PIECE world — incorporating more content,

One Piece has made a major schedule change for the first time in 26 years, but it's not to fix the anime's biggest issue.

Toei Animation has announced a major change for the One Piece anime, ending its long-running weekly schedule after more than 25 years. Starting in 2026, the series will move to a seasonal format, with a maximum of 26 episodes per year,

The One Piece anime goes on hiatus from January to March 2026 before returning in April with the Elbaph Arc, with 26 episodes for the year.

This new release schedule will follow a three-month production hiatus spanning January through March 2026. The One Piece anime will return in April to kick off the Elbaph arc, now divided into two cours, "totaling up to 26 new episodes in 2026 and thereafter."