2026’s Best Sci-Fi Anime Receives Immediate Season 2 Confirmation

Image: Toho Animation

The acclaimed series Snowball Earth is officially returning for a second season. The renewal was confirmed shortly after the conclusion of the first season’s 13-episode run this past Friday. Fans can stream the series on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Disney Plus.

<div class="display-card video large no-badge">
    <div class="w-adsninja-video-player">
        <div class="an-ignore">
            <div class="adsninja-video-player emaki-video-player emaki-video-player-0c7a5bd84692bb81" id="emaki-video-player-0c7a5bd84692bb81">
                <script>
                    window.valstream = window.valstream || {};
                    window.valstream.queue = window.valstream.queue || [];
                    window.valstream.queue.push(function(){
                        const fallbackContent = `<button class="prem-player-close">x</button><video class="adsninja-video-player" id='emaki_video-0c7a5bd84692bb81' poster="https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/snowball-earth-s2-thumbnail.jpg?fit=crop&w=1024&h=576" controls><source src="https://video.polygonimages.com/2026/06/snowball-earth-season-2-official-pv-1782497970.mp4" type="video/mp4">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video>`;
                        const fallbackToNativePlayer = function(){
                            const container = document.getElementById('emaki-video-player-0c7a5bd84692bb81');
                            if(!container) return;
                            container.innerHTML = fallbackContent;
                        };
                        if(!window.an || typeof window.an.monetizeVideo !== 'function'){
                            fallbackToNativePlayer();
                        } else {
                            window.an.monetizeVideo('.emaki-video-player-0c7a5bd84692bb81', {"name":"Instream-InContent","groupName":"content"}, {"trackingId":"in-content","playlist":[{"title":"Snowball Earth Season 2- Official PV","url":"https://video.polygonimages.com/2026/06/snowball-earth-season-2-official-pv-1782497970.mp4","thumbnailLink":"https://static0.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/snowball-earth-s2-thumbnail.jpg?fit=crop&w=1024&h=576"}]}).catch(fallbackToNativePlayer);
                        }
                    });
                </script>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>

<p>The announcement arrived alongside a teaser trailer featuring a glimpse of kaiju, imposing mechs, a mysterious feline, and a peculiar eyeless father figure. While a premiere date remains under wraps, the existence of finished animation at this stage is a promising indicator. According to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5Og7qE1teg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Toho Animation</a>, the story follows:</p>

<blockquote>
    <p>“Yukio, I’m going to make a friend.”</p>
    <p>Tetsuo, a reclusive youth, finds his only companionship in Yukio, a colossal robot. The pair once served as humanity’s final line of defense against extraterrestrial monsters. Ten years after their decisive struggle to save the world, Tetsuo reemerges to find Earth transformed into a frozen, desolate expanse known as Snowball Earth. Bound by a promise made to his robotic guardian, he ventures out into this icy, uncharted landscape.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The anime adapts the manga series by Yuhiro Tsujitsugi, which has enjoyed a successful run of 11 volumes in <em>Monthly! Spirits</em>, amassing over 800,000 copies in circulation. Viz Media handles the English publication, with the ninth volume slated for release on August 18, 2026.</p>

<p>Season one was produced by Studio Kai, a team known for recent hits like <em>Sentenced to Be a Hero</em> and <em>The Ramparts of Ice</em>, as well as their work on the <em>Umamusume: Pretty Derby</em> franchise. However, following the studio’s filing for insolvency this past April due to significant financial losses, it remains uncertain whether Studio Kai will oversee the second season’s production or if the project will transition to a different creative team.</p>

Related

Re:Zero reaches new heights with record-breaking episode ahead of Season 4 Part 2

Subaru and company continue to prove that isekai stories still have plenty of life in them.

Source: Polygon