Hundreds of One Piece episodes are being moved behind a subscription paywall on Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll has announced that hundreds of One Piece episodes are leaving the free ad-supported tier. The anime streaming platform made the announcement in early December, confirming that by the end of the month, the shift will begin.

The first 206 episodes will remain on the free ad-supported tier, but all of the episodes after this will be shifted into Premium Membership, which begins at $7.99 per month. You have some time though as the transition will take a few months if you still need to catch up.

Crunchyroll confirmed on Twitter: "Heads up, One Piece fans! Starting soon, some One Piece arcs will require a Premium Membership. But the first 206 episodes (East Blue to Sky Island) will stay free, so new fans can still start Luffy’s journey at no cost."

The streaming platform then clarified exactly when each arc will move across:

• December 23: Water 7 to Fishman Island arcs
• January 20: Punk Hazard to Whole Cake Island arcs and the six specials
• February 17: Reverie, Wano Kuni to Egghead Island arcs

This is a big shift as One Piece is currently available to watch for free on the platform, and it has been that way for a decade. However, the phased approach still gives audiences some time to stream (or rewatch) their favorite arcs.

For more on all things anime, check out our breakdown of the best anime, our guides to all the new anime on the way, and what you can expect from the live-action One Piece season 2.