Ever since the end of Solo Leveling Season 2, fans all over the world have been eagerly waiting for more animated content from Sung Jinwoo’s story. While 2026 has been largely disappointing in that regard, we do know that Solo Leveling is getting a brand-new movie, possibly as early as 2027, titled Solo Leveling: Beyond the System. Solo Leveling’s incredible production is handled by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures, two sensational Japanese animation studios. Now, A-1 Pictures is officially expanding, and in a collaboration with CloverWorks, they’ve created a new studio known as Flint Base.
Flint Base is going to revolutionize the production of anime coming out of Japan. In turn, it might have its own impact on Solo Leveling’s next production, which includes, but is not limited to, its upcoming movie in 2027, and also its next installment, Solo Leveling Season 3 as well.
A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks Collab To Create New FLINT BASE Studio
The anime industry has only been growing in popularity. While most of its viewers once used to be in Japan, anime has now become a global phenomenon. Despite this growth, Japan faces massive issues when it comes to its anime production, in large part due to a shortage of animators. Japan has been losing quite a lot of animators, and it’s estimated that today there are only about 6,000 active ones. That is a huge issue that is only growing by the year as Japan’s animation industry keeps expanding. By 2030, Japan would need far more animators to meet demand and current work than they possess.
This huge shortage is in part caused by the terrible work conditions faced by animators in the industry. Long working hours and measly pay don’t make it a very appealing job to take on. This results in many Japanese companies having to outsource the work to foreign animators. Outsourcing isn’t necessarily bad, but it limits the studio’s control over a final product. With all that being said, this issue has definitely been noticed, especially by animation studios whose future relies on animators in Japan. That is why, in April 2026, a new project was born through the collaboration of A-1 Pictures and Clover Works. These two companies have created Flint Base Studio, and since its creation, it has now been backed by even more animation studios to support the industry as a whole.
To keep it simple, Flint Base is a Tokyo-based program that trains new animators. Based on Flint Base’s own website, they offer 2-year training programs for new graduates to learn some foundational techniques needed for a full career in the industry. It offers new graduates a wide array of skills and real-life experience they would otherwise be missing out on. The work of Flint Base could amount to a real change in the industry in a few years. Its success could lead to more similar projects rising as well. It’s one of the few ways the shortage of Japanese animators could be remedied. All that said, the general improvement of working conditions is also important to save the animation industry of Japan, so Flint Base by itself isn’t a full solution.
How New FLINT BASE Studio Operation Could Affect Solo Leveling Season 3
As many fans know, Solo Leveling, the legendary hit based on the South Korean manhwa of the same name, is produced by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures. This is the same A-1 Pictures that is behind the newly founded Flint Base Studio, which is set to train new recruits and revolutionize the industry as a whole.
Since the debut of Flint Base in April of this year, many have wondered how A-1 Pictures’ involvement with the project could impact its most popular current ongoing series, Solo Leveling. For one, it could mean that many new recruits who will carry on the industry in the future will be working on Solo Leveling itself.
This also means, in theory, that the quality produced by A-1 Pictures will be able to remain more consistent. With a lot of animators at hand, the production can remain ongoing and stable. Furthermore, it reduces the risk of needing last-minute outsourcing that could impact the overall quality of the show. All in all, Flintbase could bring more stability to any product created by A-1 Pictures, which includes Solo Leveling and all its projects like Beyond the System and whatever comes afterwards.
Of course, currently, Flint Base Studio is still rather new. It will take a while to see any actual impact on Solo Leveling, as well as other A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks’ releases, but in the future, it will definitely be making a huge difference.
Solo Leveling’s New Upcoming Projects and What To Expect From Season 3
At the moment, A-1 Pictures and Aniplex’s Golden Egg are working on Solo Leveling. The Solo Leveling series first made its grand debut as an anime adaptation in 2024 with its first anime season. It’s clear that even back then, A-1 Pictures and Aniplex had faith in the series and its upcoming success. The studios quickly brought the series back in 2025 with Solo Leveling Season 2. It is this new season that put the anime on everyone’s radar. The studios’ work on Jinwoo’s intense battles is what allowed the series to become as popular as it is today. Without their work, Solo Leveling would have stayed as a decently popular manhwa, and its reach would have never extended this far and wide.
Naturally, Aniplex and A-1 Pictures are far from being done with Solo Leveling. With the series’ groundbreaking success, we were expecting nothing short of massive success for its next project. This is why we were excited to learn, on July 4, 2026, that the next Solo Leveling project would be a theatrical release, titled Solo Leveling: Beyond the System.
This movie is here to replace Season 3 of the series. After Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, it’ll be interesting to see if the studios stick with movie releases, or if they pivot back and create Solo Leveling Season 3. We’re sure the company, now in collaboration with Flint Base, will deliver sensational work, one project after the other. For now, we await the next big announcement coming from A-1 Pictures concerning the new Solo Leveling project, which could give us a concrete release date for the movie as well as new key visuals and a trailer.
All episodes of the Solo Leveling anime, including Season 1 and Season 2, are available to stream on Crunchyroll.