Solo Leveling is a sensational South Korean story written by Chugong and was made into an anime in Japan in January 2024. Since then, Solo Leveling has continuously grown in popularity, and right now it stands as one of the most popular modern anime series out there. While few expected Solo Leveling to be a huge success, the anime proved the doubters wrong as it went on to become one of the most watched hits of 2024 and 2025, and today stands as Crunchyroll's most reviewed anime of all time.
Solo Leveling was always popular as a Manhwa, but its current scale of success can be attributed to the studios behind the anime – Aniplex and A-1 Pictures, of which the latter plays the larger role. On June 30, 2026, Solo Leveling Studio A-1 Pictures showed a huge profit in the last financial year, which means that we will not only be able to get Solo Leveling Season 3 soon, but the quality is likely to get a significant boost.
Solo Leveling Season 3 Gets Big Boost As Studio A-1 Pictures Reports Huge Profit For Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Solo Leveling's debut came as a simple novel by Chugong back in 2016, and since then the story has definitely evolved. In 2018, it received a Manhwa adaptation by Redice Studio, which put the story on the radar of a significantly larger audience. The popularity of Solo Leveling reached such heights that this story was eventually adapted by an animation studio in Japan — A-1 Pictures. The Solo Leveling TV anime would go on to be created in collaboration between Aniplex and A-1 Pictures. The first season went on to premiere in January 2024, and the second just a year later, in January 2025. Both seasons of Solo Leveling became incredibly popular, earning the series many awards, such as Crunchyroll Anime of the Year 2025, and being the highest-rated anime on the streaming platform, among others.
Of the two studios involved in the production of Solo Leveling, A-1 Pictures is the main one involved. Founded on May 9, 2005, this Japanese studio has since produced some huge hit series other than just Solo Leveling, such as Sword Art Online, Black Butler, Fairy Tail, Your Lie in April, and many other recognizable series. Despite all this, the studio was not in top form last year. Although A-1 Pictures had many popular anime series airing, the studio reported a net loss. In fiscal year 2025, the studio lost 178 million yen, which is about 1.2 million USD. This loss was very concerning for fans of series like Solo Leveling, as a significant loss could mean that the studio would potentially have to shelve projects or cut production somewhere.
Fortunately, while 2025 was a huge loss for the studio, things are going much better this year. In this fiscal year ending March 2026, it has been reported by A-1 Pictures that they made huge profits. This year, the studio was able to make a net profit of ¥91.6 million, which is about $564,000. This might not seem like an incredible win, but it's enough to know that the studio is headed in a good direction now. Hopefully we will continue to see steady profits next year and beyond.
Solo Leveling officially announces a new S-Rank Dark Hunter
Solo Leveling introduces a new Dark S-Rank Hunter named Agnes Rivera.
What A-1 Pictures' success means for Solo Leveling Season 3
A-1 pictures being financially successful may seem irrelevant to some fans, but it can be a huge factor in determining the fate of many of our favorite series handled by this studio. First, A-1 Pictures is the giant behind Sung Jinwoo's story, Solo Leveling. If the studio were to go bankrupt or show signs of continuous decline without profit, the future of the IP would be in jeopardy, even though Solo Leveling itself is popular and gets a lot of views.
Now that A-1 Pictures has shown significant profit margins, we are confident that the future Solo Leveling project is secure. The next project we are looking forward to is Solo Leveling Season 3, and with the money coming in, we're sure A-1 Pictures will handle the project phenomenally. We already know that Solo Leveling Season 3 is coming, although an official release date has not been announced yet. On June 9, 2026, D&C Media, one of the largest investors in Solo Leveling and the original publisher of the series, released an investment report revealing that they are currently investing in the series, with a target release date of 2027 or 2028.
Of course, the recently reported success of A-1 Pictures also bodes well for other IPs handled by the studio. “Too many losing heroines!” Is a new anime series for the studio, and the fiscal profits mean that season 2 will be handled with quality. The same can be said about Mashle: Magic and Muscles season 3, and even recently arrived projects like Bless. We are extremely excited to see an amazing studio full of talent, like A-1 Pictures, who prioritize quality above all else, continue to deliver exciting releases every year.
Solo Leveling Season 3 success will further boost A-1 Pictures' profits
Many fans may be confused as to how A-1 Pictures made a financial loss in 2025, despite the release of one of their most popular anime series to date, Solo Leveling Season 2. Tax revenue for studios is much more complicated than just being based on the popularity of an anime. That's not to say that Season 2 of Solo Leveling didn't make good money. It could simply mean that the studio spent more than they earned on various projects.
In 2024, when Solo Leveling first debuted, the studio made a profit, and currently Solo Leveling is the most lucrative IP they have. It is extremely popular at the moment, with an audience all over the world, and the story is unique compared to other big performances at the moment. A-1 Pictures and Aniplex are definitely planning to cash in on the series' popularity. The biggest move the studios could make to maximize profits on Solo Leveling would be a third season and a movie. Through the report of the A-1 Pictures 2025 committee, we know that the studio was inspired by the huge success of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. With a big blockbuster for Solo Leveling, the IP could be a big financial hit for the studio. Solo Leveling Season 3 itself has become a highly anticipated release, so it should do big numbers both in Japan and worldwide, giving the studio a reasonable boost as well.
Source: A-1 Pictures Fiscal Report 2026.
