Single leveling is a sensational South Korean story written by Chugong, and was animated in Japan in January 2024. since then, Single leveling has steadily grown in terms of popularity, and now, it stands as one of the most popular modern anime series out there. Although few expected Solo Leveling to be a huge success, the anime proved the doubters wrong when it went on to become one of the most watched hits of 2024 and 2025, and today stands as Crunchyroll's most reviewed anime of all time.
Solo leveling was always popular as a manhwa, but its current scale of success can be attributed to the studios behind the anime – Aniplex and A-1 Pictures, the latter of which plays a large role. On June 30, 2026, Single leveling Studio A-1 Pictures has revealed that it made a huge profit last financial year, which means more than we can get. Single leveling Season 3 soon, but it is likely to receive a significant increase in quality.
Solo Leveling Season 3 Gets Big Boost As Studio A-1 Pictures Reports Big Profits For Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Solo Leveling debuted in 2016 as Chugong's simple novel, and since then, the story has definitely evolved. In 2018, it went on to receive a manhwa adaptation by Redis Studios, which put the story on the radar of a much larger audience. The popularity of solo leveling reached such heights that eventually the story was adapted by an animation studio in Japan – A-1 Pictures. The Solo Leveling TV anime will be made in collaboration between Aniplex and A-1 Pictures. The first season premiered in January 2024 and the second season a year later in January 2025. Both seasons of Solo Leveling were incredibly popular, with the series garnering many accolades such as Crunchyroll Anime of the Year 2025, and becoming the highest-rated anime on the streaming platform.
Of the two studios involved in the production of Solo Leveling, A-1 Pictures is the main involved. This Japanese studio was founded on May 9, 2005, and has produced some big hit series besides Solo Leveling, Sword Art Online, Black Butler, Fairy Tail, Your Lie in April, and many other recognizable series. Despite all this, the studio wasn't in top shape last year. Despite airing several popular anime series on A-1 Pictures, the studio reported a net loss. In fiscal year 2025, the studio lost 178 million yen, which is about $1.2 million USD. The loss was particularly concerning for fans of series like Solo Leveling, as a significant loss would mean the studio would potentially have to drop projects or cut corners somewhere in production.
Fortunately, 2025 was a big loss for the studio, this year, it is doing very well. In this financial year ending March 2026, it has been reported by A-1 Pictures that they have made a huge profit. This year, the studio was able to make a net profit of ¥91.6 million yen, which is about $564K USD. This may seem like an incredible amount of profit, but it's enough to know that the studio is going in a good direction right now. Hopefully, we will continue to see steady profits next year and beyond.
Solo Leveling officially announced the new S-Rank Dark Hunter
Solo Leveling is introducing a new Dark S-Rank Hunter named Agnes Rivera.
What A-1 Pictures' Success Means for Solo Leveling Season 3
A-1 pictures being financially successful may seem irrelevant to some fans, but it can be a huge factor in deciding the fate of many of our favorite series handled by the studio. For one, A-1 Pictures is the giant behind Sung Jinwoo's story, Solo Leveling. If the studio goes bankrupt or shows signs of continued decline with no profits, even if solo leveling itself is popular and gets a lot of views, the future of the IP will be in jeopardy.
Now that A-1 Pictures has shown significant profit margins, we are confident that the future solo leveling project is secure. Another project we are looking at Single leveling With season 3, and funding, we are sure that A-1 Pictures will handle the project in an unprecedented manner. We already know Solo Leveling Season 3 is coming, although the official release date has not been announced yet. On June 9, 2026, D&C Media, the largest investor in Solo Leveling and the original publisher of the series, released an investment report indicating that they are currently investing in the series with a target release date of 2027 or 2028.
Of course, A-1 Pictures' newly reported success bodes well for other IPs handled by the studio as well. 'So many loser heroines!' It's a new anime series for the studio, and the financial benefits mean Season 2 will be handled with quality. The same can be said about recent projects like Mashle: Magic and Muscles Season 3, and Bless. We are extremely excited to see an amazing studio full of talent like A-1 Pictures, which prioritizes quality above all else, continue to churn out exciting releases every year.
The success of Solo Leveling Season 3 further boosts A-1 Pictures' profits
Many fans may be confused as to how A-1 Pictures was at a financial loss despite the release of one of their most popular anime series, Solo Leveling Season 2, in 2025. The financial income of studios is more complicated than just being based on the popularity of an anime. Not that Season 2 of Solo Leveling didn't make good money. This means that the studio may have spent more than it earned on various projects.
In 2024, when Solo Leveling first debuted, the studio turned a profit, and now Solo Leveling is the most lucrative IP they have. It is now extremely popular with audiences all over the world, and the story is unique compared to other big things of the moment. A-1 Pictures and Aniplex certainly plan to cash in on the popularity of the series. The biggest move studios could make to increase profits in Solo Leveling would be a third season and a theatrical movie release. Through the A-1 Pictures 2025 committee report, we know that the studio was inspired by the huge box office success of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. With a big blockbuster movie for solo leveling, the IP could be a huge financial hit for the studio. Solo Leveling Season 3 is a highly anticipated release in itself, so it should perform well in Japan and worldwide, giving the studio a proper boost as well.
Source: A-1 Pictures Fiscal Report 2026.
