The One Piece news livestream sparked major discussions on October 28th with the announcement of a three-month-long hiatus for the One Piece anime series. In their announcement, the officials made it clear that the series will go on a three-month-long hiatus starting January 2026. The reasons cited for the sudden break are the producer’s plan to work on the major criticism of the series, i.e. pacing.
One Piece Anime Announces Three-Month Hiatus
The series producer had shared their plan for big reveals regarding the One Piece anime series in their initial announcement of the news #3 livestream. Following this, fans of the series had already started speculating a potential break in the series due to various reasons. Some of which were proven to be right, as the series announced a three-month-long hiatus for the anime series starting in January 2026.
The long-running anime series that started airing in 1999 will be put on hold until April of next year, as confirmed by Toei Animation, the company behind the series.
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📢 Breaking News from ONE PIECE NEWS
ONE PIECE will go on a three-month break starting this January, returning in April 2026 with the start of the Elbaph Arc!
Beginning in 2026, the anime series will also kick-off its new production schedule, dividing into two parts for a… pic.twitter.com/EQQI6mv4tB
— Toei Animation (@ToeiAnimation) October 28, 2025
Why is One Piece Going on a Break?
The reasons stated for the sudden three-month break of the anime were cited to be major changes in the creation process of the series. Starting in 2026, the anime will be more tightly packaged, covering 1 manga chapter per episode, thus addressing the complaints regarding its poor pacing.
In their post, Toei Animation wrote that the series will begin its new production schedule. Starting April 2026, the series will switch to a seasonal format, only airing 26 episodes per year, to “dive even deeper into the heart of the ONE PIECE world.” The post stated that the revamp of the creation process will work on the series’s content, tempo, and pacing to keep it more in line with the original manga by Eiichiro Oda.
When Will One Piece Return From Break?
There is no official release date announced for the return of the One Piece anime series. However, the series will pick up the story from the beginning of the Elbaph Arc.
Fan Reactions to The One Piece Break
Upon the announcement, fans took to social media to share their reactions to the news. The majority of the fans praised the production company’s decision to work on one of the major criticisms of the series. Others pointed to the series as a part of their daily routine, stating its absence as a major missing point for them. Regardless of immediate reactions, almost everyone is on board with the decision.
A post that aptly represents the One Piece fandom’s reaction to the series reads, “Finally, One Piece will get the anime it deserves…No pacing issues, no filler, more faithful to the manga and more time to deliver high quality animation”
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Finally, One Piece will get the anime it deserves
No pacing issues, no filler, more faithful to the manga and more time to deliver high quality animation
Big News!
— Pirate Path (@piratepath) October 28, 2025
Another major announcement made in the One Piece news #3 livestream was the release date of Netflix’s One Piece series season 2, officially titled—One Piece: Into The Grand Line.
