Everything you need to know about Solo Leveling Season 3's delay

Solo Leveling Season 3 is one of the most anticipated anime seasons right now, especially considering the incredible success the series found with its first two seasons, Solo Leveling Season 1 aired in 2024 and just a year later Season 2 followed, leveling up what was already an incredible start to a great story. Solo Leveling Season 2 ended in March 2025, and since then no update has been given about a third season. As such, Solo Leveling Season 3 has officially been delayed indefinitely. While this delay is certainly disappointing, there are many details now clear about what course the franchise will take next, putting into perspective just how long Solo Leveling's ongoing delay will be.

Solo Leveling Season 3 has been delayed

Solo Leveling Season 3 has officially been delayed, and that's for sure. Initially, an announcement about Solo Leveling Season 3 was expected right after the finale of the second season. The announcement for Solo Leveling Season 2 came right after the first season ended. However, Solo Leveling Season 3 has not been announced even almost a year after the start of the second season.

As such, it's safe to say that Solo Leveling Season 3 has encountered some obstacles and that production has not gone according to plan. The director of Solo Leveling is also busy with other projects, so it pushes the third season of the anime back even further. In other words, Solo Leveling Season 3 has been delayed and will most likely not be released anytime soon.

Solo Leveling Staff Enter a release date of 2028

Although not everything is clear about the fate of it Solo Leveling series, the fact is that it will continue in one way or another. In the past, the director and producer of the Solo Leveling anime have commented on when they want the series to return.

It was stated that the preferred time for the series to return would be around the same time as the 2028 Olympics. This is because Solo Leveling requires a lot of strenuous work by the staff. In order for them to breathe and deliver the highest possible quality, it would take over two years. Of course, this was just staff preference and not an official release date for the third season.

Solo Leveling Producer teased good news for 2026

Solo Leveling Season 3 has yet to receive any major news in 2026 so far, but it seems like it's on the horizon at this point. Atsushi Kaneko, one of the producers at A1 Pictures, recently said so Solo Leveling fans have some great news coming their way.

The news isn't exactly out yet, but Kaneko is asking fans to be patient just a little longer. It seems that this news is absolutely huge in terms of what it means for the Solo Leveling series, and as such, it can only be about the next project in the series, which could be the third season.

Improved quality may be a reason for the delay of season 3

Improved quality solo leveling season 3 delay

The staff working on Solo Leveling Season 3 have made their desire to deliver the best possible product known on numerous occasions. Solo Leveling's output is pretty incredible. However, the team wants to take things a step further and deliver an even better project with the next season. Of course, this requires time and effort. This could also explain why Solo Leveling Season 3 isn't coming out anytime soon.

While the wait may be difficult, the trade-off will certainly be worth it as an even better animated product would mean that the best parts of the manhwa will be done justice. It would also increase the already incredible popularity of anime to even greater levels.

A solo leveling movie could replace season 3

Considering the reports floating around at the moment, there is a strong possibility that Solo Leveling Season 3 will be officially replaced by a movie, after the theatrical release of Demon Slayer.

It has been reported that A1 Pictures has decided to switch Solo Leveling to a movie format, and if that's the case, season 3 won't be coming anytime soon, instead being replaced by a movie.

If reports are to be believed, the Solo Leveling movie will be released in late 2026 or early 2027. When the reports about the movie were first revealed, it was stated that it was only in pre-production stages. As such, the official release timeframe for it may vary widely, depending on how production progresses.

Solo Leveling Season 3 may happen after the movie

There is a strong possibility that Solo Leveling Season 3 will only happen after a Solo Leveling movie. If reports of Solo Leveling getting a theatrical release are correct, it's safe to assume that Season 3 won't be happening anytime soon and is actually years away. In that case, Solo Leveling Season 3 will only be released after the movie's run, which could push it all the way back to 2028.

Of course, the Solo Leveling movie would most likely cover a canon arc in this scenario, similar to how Demon Slayer did with Mugen Train and Infinity Castle. While the wait for Season 3 would then be even longer, fans would at least be able to enjoy the theatrical premiere.

No Solo Leveling Season 3 2026

At this point, it can be said with absolute certainty that Solo Leveling Season 3 will not happen in 2026. Previously, fans had hoped for a late 2026 release for this incredible anime series, but given the current state of affairs, this is impossible. Solo Leveling Season 3 hasn't even been confirmed, let alone given a release date. As such, this project has officially been pushed back to 2027 at the earliest and 2028 at the latest.

Solo Leveling Season 3 might not even happen if A-1 Pictures decides to go ahead with more movies instead of anime seasons. Both anime and movie releases have their own pros and cons, but the important thing is that Solo Leveling will continue to thrive either way. The franchise is incredibly massive at this point and will continue to live on in one way or another. In fact, Solo Leveling is only going to get bigger in the future, be it with a movie or Season 3, and fans all over the world are eagerly awaiting its return.