Steel Ball Run Races Onto Netflix—But Will JoJo Fans Trust the Ride This Time?

JoJo is saddling up again. Netflix just confirmed that the next anime arc, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, is officially happening — and yes, it is a Netflix exclusive. Good news: we are getting Steel Ball Run. The Netflix news: we have no idea how they plan to roll it out.

So what did Netflix actually say?

The announcement hit during the 10th anniversary celebration of Netflix launching in Japan. The streamer posted that Steel Ball Run will premiere only on Netflix and promised more info later. They also dropped a teaser of sorts: a montage that revisits past JoJo installments before the vibe snaps to 1890 America. On-screen text lays out the hook — a roughly 4000-mile, first-of-its-kind North American cross-country horseback race with a $50 million prize. Very JoJo, very big swing.

The release plan is the elephant (horse?) in the room

Netflix did not say if Steel Ball Run will arrive all at once, in chunks, or weekly. That silence matters. The last season, Stone Ocean, launched with 12 episodes, then another 12 a whole year later, and the final batch three months after that. Fans hated that rollout. The replies under Netflix's post are basically a chorus of: 'Weekly release. And no batch. DO IT RIGHT' and 'All we need is a weekly release please Netflix.'

What Steel Ball Run is (and why fans are hyped)

Steel Ball Run is the seventh arc of Hirohiko Araki's JoJo saga, based on the manga that started in 2004. The story shifts to the United States in 1890 and follows Johnny Joestar, a former jockey who is now paraplegic, and Gyro Zeppeli, a disgraced former executioner. They enter that massive cross-country race chasing the $50 million prize — and quickly discover the organizer has, let’s say, extra-agenda energy. If you know JoJo, you know that never ends quietly.

'My heart is pounding with excitement to be entrusted with directing this anime adaptation… I look forward to sharing our enthusiasm for this work with all of you and hope we can ride this journey together.'

- Yasuhiro Kimura, director of Steel Ball Run

Right now, here is what we know

• Steel Ball Run is the next JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime arc and will stream only on Netflix.
• The announcement was tied to the 10th anniversary of Netflix's launch in Japan and came with a teaser that shifts the series timeline back to 1890 America.
• The teaser frames the premise: a roughly 4000-mile North American horseback race with a $50 million prize.
• Netflix has not clarified the release cadence. Stone Ocean previously dropped in a batchy, stop-start schedule (12 episodes, another 12 a year later, then the final episodes three months after that), which sparked backlash.
• Story setup: Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli team up for the race and run headfirst into the sponsor's ulterior motives.
• Director Yasuhiro Kimura is at the helm and says he is beyond excited to bring this one to life.
• No release date yet. More updates are promised.

Bottom line: Steel Ball Run is coming, the teaser looks right, and the setup is classic JoJo with a fresh spin. Now we wait to see if Netflix learned anything from Stone Ocean and gives this one a sane, weekly rollout. I will believe it when I see it.