One Piece Confirms the 2026 Episode That Will Break Its Weekly Streak

One Piece is about to do something it basically never does: slow down on purpose. After more than two decades of airing almost every single week, the anime is shifting to a seasonal schedule in 2026. If you live and die by that Sunday drop, here is what the new plan actually looks like and why it is happening.

The schedule flip

• Hiatus: No new episodes from January through March 2026.
• Return: April 2026, kicking off with the Elbaf arc.
• Format: Two-cour per year (think two seasonal batches), with a maximum of 26 episodes annually.
• Translation note from the official staff messaging: the goal is to line up roughly one manga chapter per anime episode, which is a huge pacing shift.

Why the change now

The news came via a YouTube live stream from the One Piece team on October 28, 2025. It is a big swing for a show that started on October 20, 1999 and has been weekly ever since, minus the occasional break. The most recent break was a chunky one: six months off from October 2024 to April 2025.

'Strategic decision to support the advancement and evolution of the anime series.'

- Ryuta Koike, One Piece producer at Toei Animation

That is the official line. Reading between the very obvious lines: a seasonal model should help the show breathe. Fewer filler episodes, tighter pacing, and a saner schedule for the animators generally equals better-looking episodes. And if they truly commit to roughly one chapter per episode, fans have been asking for that rhythm for years.

Elbaf gets the spotlight

The stream also dropped a teaser for the Elbaf arc, which is part of One Piece's final saga and will start when the show returns in April 2026. The new visual has Luffy trekking solo across a snow-covered Elbaf landscape, and the team showed off fresh character designs. The Straw Hats are rocking Viking-inspired gear, which fits the island's whole giant warrior vibe and, yes, they look great.

For manga readers: the series is currently in the Elbaf arc on the page, so this hiatus also gives Eiichiro Oda more runway. The idea is to prevent the anime from catching up and stalling out again once it resumes.

The bigger picture

If you have been watching since the CRT era, this is a pretty wild pivot. But honestly, it makes sense. Weekly forever is brutal, and the show is deep into its endgame. Trading volume for quality is the smarter move here.

Where to watch

One Piece is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.