Following the conclusion of the Egghead arc, One Piece is going on a three month break which will also mark a shift in the release schedule.
The recently released One Piece anime episode has confirmed that the Egghead arc is officially reaching closer to its conclusion. With only three installments remaining in the roster, the series will soon bring an end to its first phase of the final saga. However, following that, the anime is going on a long hiatus and has made some major changes for the upcoming storylines.
According to the new announcements that were made through a recent live stream, the Egghead arc will end in 2025, and after that, the series will go on a three-month hiatus. The hiatus ends in April 2026, and that’s when the story will witness the beginning of the Elbaph arc, which marks the second phase of the final saga. Not only that, but the series is also dropping its weekly schedule, which is a major development.
Why Is the Break Necessary for One Piece?
2025 was a big year for One Piece as it not only returned from its six-month hiatus in April 2025, but it also saw some major developments in terms of the story. The weekly releases have brought some of the most shocking twists that finally brought the first arc of the finale to its conclusion. The three episodes that are remaining episodes will be released every Sunday, and will mark the end of Egghead along with the year 2025.
What One Piece fans should know is that the anime series has been streaming actively for more than ten months with new episodes every Sunday, along with special recaps. This is certainly a big win for Toei Animation, but it has also caused major issues with aspects such as pacing and animation quality in some of the installments. Thus, this three-month break would enable the studio to identify and address its shortcomings.
Not only that, but the liverstream also revealed that following the conclusion of the Egghead arc, the One Piece anime will shift to a seasonal release schedule. It will stream 26 episodes per year, and releasing so many episodes together certainly requires a lot of planning, coordination, and production discipline from the entire animation team at Toei. Thus, this hiatus would help them reorganize and come back stronger with a season packed with high-quality animation and storytelling.
Everything You Must Know About the New One Piece Anime Schedule
The new One Piece release schedule is quite contentious, as it has left fans divided about whether it is a good thing for the series or not. As mentioned above, One Piece anime is becoming a seasonal anime with 26 episodes starting next year. However, it will be shifting to a two-split cours strategy, being released separately throughout the year.
This means that fans will get 13 episodes every six months, which would cover the developments of the One Piece storyline. Also, a major development that fans would like is that each new episode of the One Piece anime will cover one manga chapter, starting with the Elbaph arc, thus helping them maintain a safe distance from the manga series. The announcement was accompanied by a key visual and character designs for the Straw Hats.
While fans will need to wait three months for the Elbaph arc to begin, the wait will be worth it. The new seasonal schedule will help maintain better quality and pacing, and it will allow the anime to follow the story more faithfully without unnecessary stretching. Do you think that this seasonal shift and the break will help Toei produce better One Piece episodes? Let us know below!
| Anime Series | One Piece |
| Hiatus Begins | December 2025 |
| Hiatus Ends | April 2026 |
| New Seasonal Episode Schedule | 26 Episodes Per Year |
| Story Arc | Elbaph |
