Despite animation controversies, Blue Lock is back for another anime season and a live-action film

The official poster for Blue Lock season 2 — (Image credit: Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura, Kodansha / "BLUE LOCK" Production Committee)

On the eve of a World Cup year, Blue Lock fans are getting set to feast – with a pair of crowd-pleasing announcements.

As revealed by the Blue Lock team (via Crunchyroll), an undated third season of the soccer anime is on the way. On top of that, a live-action film is in the works and is slated for release next summer, just in time to capitalize on the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

While the sports series has gained increasing popularity thanks to its over-the-top action and pulsating soccer matches, Blue Lock season 2 was dogged by controversy over its flat and choppy animation style – a marked downgrade from the first season that was even compared to a PowerPoint slide.

"Once I finished working on episode two, I decided to leave, and the final result ended up a disaster – as I expected," animator Martin Reyes said on TikTok (via ComicBook.com). "I am not able to feel proud of the work that was uploaded."

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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