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Toei Animation and One Piece anime producer Ryūta Koike announced during a One Piece News livestream on Tuesday that the anime will reduce its annual episode output to a maximum of 26 episodes moving forward starting in 2026. Following the conclusion of the Egghead arc this year, the anime will take a three-month production hiatus from January-March 2026. The anime will return in April 2026 for the first of two cours (quarters of a year) with the start of the new Elbaph arc. The stream unveiled a visual for the arc:
According to Toei Animation, the new schedule will allow episodes to "incorporate more content, tempo, and pacing of the manga while continuing to leverage the unique storytelling that is only possible with animation." Historically, with only few exceptions, the anime has aired most weeks since its premiere in 1999. However, the pace has slowed considerably over the years, such that a single anime episode adapts about a single manga chapter on average.
According to Toei Animation, the new schedule will allow episodes to "incorporate more content, tempo, and pacing of the manga while continuing to leverage the unique storytelling that is only possible with animation." Historically, with only few exceptions, the anime has aired most weeks since its premiere in 1999. However, the pace has slowed considerably over the years, such that a single anime episode adapts about a single manga chapter on average.
