Smiling Friends Ending After Season 3 Leaves Fans and Creators Navigating Burnout and an Unfinished Rollout

The decision that the animated comedy will end after its third season lands first and foremost on viewers and the small creative team behind it: creators and stars Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel say they’re burned out but proud, and they’ve scheduled two leftover Season 3 episodes to air on April 12 at 11 p. m. This matters now because the announcement closes the current chapter while explicitly leaving the possibility of future work in the same universe uncertain.

Smiling Friends: immediate fallout for fans and the creative team

Fans face the loss of an ongoing series; the creators face the burnout that prompted the choice to stop at three seasons. The announcement was delivered directly by Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel in a video posted to the show’s official social account. Both framed the ending as a deliberate, creator-led choice rather than a forced cancellation.

What the creators said and why they stopped

Cusack and Hadel described feeling “burnt out” after completing Season 3 while also feeling creatively satisfied. They argued it would be worse to continue producing new seasons half-heartedly, and opted to finish on what they see as a high note rather than risk eroding quality. They emphasized giving everything to the show from the start and said they preferred the idea of leaving the audience wanting more over staying on past their enthusiasm.

The remaining episodes and how they’ll arrive

• Two unreleased Season 3 episodes will air April 12 at 11 p. m.; the creators labeled these installments as “not finales” and described them as stragglers that didn’t join the initial season rollout.

Future possibilities: a door left partly open

While the series run concludes with Season 3, Cusack and Hadel explicitly left the door ajar for future projects in the same universe. They said the broadcaster has been supportive and that the option to return—whether for a special or sporadic new episodes—remains on the table, though they made clear there are no firm plans to continue and that any return would depend on their creative readiness.

How the announcement appeared online and an odd side note

The creators’ message arrived as a direct video post on the show’s social feed and was widely relayed across entertainment channels. One observed copy of a related news page displayed a browser-support notice advising readers to update their software for the best experience, which interrupted access to that site for some visitors.

• The creators posted the announcement in a video on the show’s official social account.
• The network was described as supportive of the creators’ choice and open to future returns if the creators want them.
• Cusack and Hadel said they felt creatively accomplished and did not want to continue if it meant compromising quality.
• Two additional Season 3 episodes will air April 12 at 11 p. m.; they are not series finales but part of the Season 3 order.
• At least one entertainment publisher republished the item, and a separate major news page showed a browser-not-supported message to visitors seeking coverage.

Here’s the part that matters to fans: while the regular season slate is ending, the creators have kept options open for specials or future returns if they feel up to it. The real question now is whether that openness will translate into concrete projects—signals that would confirm a return include the creators announcing new creative work or the broadcaster clearing time for a special.

What’s easy to miss is that the choice was framed as mutual and protective of quality rather than purely a retirement; the creators repeatedly positioned the decision as their own and said the broadcaster told them to take a break rather than force more episodes out.

Key takeaways:

• The show will conclude after Season 3 by the creators’ decision.
• Creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel cited burnout and creative satisfaction as reasons to stop now.
• Two unaired Season 3 episodes will premiere April 12 at 11 p. m. and are not intended as series finales.
• The broadcaster expressed support and would allow a future return, but no plans for additional seasons exist at this time.

If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up: the creators emphasized quality control—better to end than to continue without full commitment—and they repeatedly signaled that anything beyond Season 3 would depend entirely on whether they want to return.

Fans should expect the remaining episodes to arrive on April 12 at 11 p. m., and to treat the series’ end as final for now while remaining alert for any later announcements about specials or revival projects.