Smiling Friends to End After Season 3, Creators Say Two Unreleased Episodes Will Air April 12

The animated comedy smiling friends will conclude after its third season, creators and stars Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel announced in a video posted to Adult Swim’s X account. The decision, the two said, follows creative exhaustion and a desire to stop while the show remains strong.

Smiling Friends creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel announce end

In the posted message Hadel opened bluntly: "I'm gonna cut right to the chase. This is not a bit, this is not a joke. Michael and I are here to announce that 'Smiling Friends' will be ending after Season 3 is done. " Cusack added that after finishing Season 3 both creators "felt pretty burnt out after putting years and years into this, but also pretty accomplished, " concluding, "I think that could just be it. "

Why burnout and quality concerns drove the decision

Hadel said the pair always intended to give the show "110%" and "go out on top, " arguing it was preferable to leave viewers "wanting more" than to continue producing work they felt was half-hearted. Cusack echoed that perspective, saying they did not believe they could continue the series "without compromising its quality. " Hadel summed the creative calculus with a caution against prolonged runs: "Even if we had a thousand ideas at the end of season five, we’re not going to go on long. " Cusack also observed, "We pretty much can guarantee it’s not going to go on as much as these other shows. "

Adult Swim’s response and the prospect of future projects

Cusack said the decision to end was "our decision" and that Adult Swim has been "very supportive. " When the creators told the network, Cartoon Network's late-night brand answered: "If you’re not feeling like making a cartoon, we’re not going to stop you. Go have a break. Either come back or don’t. " That support leaves open the possibility that the pair could return to this universe: they said Adult Swim would allow them to make more episodes in the future if they choose, and they left "the door slightly open to a special or something along those lines. "

Two unreleased Season 3 episodes scheduled for April 12 at 11 p. m.

The creators announced that two unreleased Season 3 episodes will air on April 12 at 11 p. m. on Adult Swim. Hadel clarified those installments are "not finales" but are instead "little stragglers" that did not make the initial season rollout and remain part of the completed Season 3 order.

Reaction and closing remarks from the creators

Cusack acknowledged how difficult the announcement was to make: "We know this is very disappointing, " he said, noting it had been hard even to record the message. He thanked fans for their support, calling the series run "the ride of a lifetime" and praising the audience for being "so good. " The creators emphasized they did not want to deliver "fucking slop, " stressing that stopping now was meant to protect the show's quality and the audience's experience.

What makes this notable is that the creators framed the end as a deliberate, quality-driven choice rather than a network cancellation, and they secured explicit room to return if their priorities or energy change. The timing matters because fans will get two additional episodes on a precise date and time—April 12 at 11 p. m. —even as the series concludes on the creators' terms.