One Piece co-showrunner announces he's stepping away from the "life changing journey" of working on the Netflix show to "focus on myself and my mental health"

One Piece co-showrunner Matt Owens has announced he's stepping down from the Netflix show.

"The last six years working on the live-action One Piece have been a life changing journey," Owens wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. "A dream come true. It's also been A LOT. So I'm stepping off the Going Merry to take a break and focus on myself and my mental health. Thank you so much to [creator Eiichiro] Oda, Shueisha, Tomorrow Studios, Netflix, and the entire cast and crew for your trust, partnership, and hard work. For now I'm gonna take a breath, do some therapy, try and rank up in Marvel Rivals, and come back refreshed for the new adventures that await. Thanks to everyone who has supported me. See you real soon!"

One Piece season 2 has wrapped filming, but there's no release date just yet – and, since the show isn't part of any of Netflix's 2025 marketing, we can guess we'll have to wait until 2026 to see the next chapter.

A first look at the new season has been revealed, though, which shows the gang in a new location – which is potentially Loguetown.

"Just as with last season, they've gone out of their way to promise that they won't put the show out until I'm satisfied,” he continued. “This isn't in the contract, you know. It's a verbal pledge. I hope you can appreciate how amazing and determined they are for keeping their word. And they've certainly proven their ability to bring this world to the screen. I just can't wait to see it!"