Adult Swim Smiling Friends to End After Season 3, Creators Say

Creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel announced that adult swim smiling friends will conclude after its third season, saying the choice was theirs and that they were burned out after years of work. The pair also confirmed two unreleased Season 3 episodes will air April 12, leaving the door open for occasional returns even as the regular run ends.

Creators framed the announcement in a message on Adult Swim’s X account

Cusack and Hadel revealed the decision in a message posted to Adult Swim’s X account; the rollout of that message included an audio element on the programming block’s X account. Hadel opened the message by saying, "I'm gonna cut right to the chase, " and stressed, "This is not a bit, this is not a joke, " as he and Cusack announced the series would end after Season 3. Both creators described themselves as having put years into the show and said they felt burned out even as they felt accomplished.

They insisted the ending was their choice and said Adult Swim backed them

Cusack stated that ending the series was "our decision, " and said Adult Swim has been "very supportive. " He relayed that the network told them, "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. " Cusack added the possibility that they could return in the future — Adult Swim would let them make more episodes if they wanted — but that choice remains theirs.

Show had been renewed beyond Season 3 but creators opted to stop

The announcement comes despite the show having been renewed for Seasons 4 and 5. Cusack and Hadel said they did not want to continue the series half‑heartedly; Hadel said from the start they wanted to put "110%" into the show and "go out on top, " leaving the audience "wanting more" rather than stretching the work until it felt like "fucking slop. " Cusack echoed that sentiment, noting they had considered the long arc and decided this was the best endpoint for the series as they felt it.

Two extra Season 3 episodes will air April 12 at 11 p. m. ET; Season 3 ran eight episodes and ended Nov. 30

The creators said two unreleased Season 3 episodes will be broadcast on April 12 at 11 p. m. ET on Adult Swim. Hadel described those installments as "not finales" but rather "little stragglers" or "little rogue planets out there, not thematically related" that didn't make the initial season rollout. Season 3 comprised eight episodes and completed its Adult Swim run on Nov. 30.

Legacy, streaming, and future possibilities: Williams Street, HBO Max, Zam Studios and more

The series is produced by Williams Street, Adult Swim's in‑house production company. Cusack and Hadel thanked fans for the engagement—fan art, costumes and memes—and noted Smiling Friends has been one of Adult Swim's top‑performing shows on HBO Max outside of Rick and Morty. They urged other shows to consider hiring the Smiling Friends crew.

The two creators plan to continue working together and in October teamed with producer Aron Fromm to launch Zam Studios, a new Los Angeles‑based independent animation studio. While they confirmed there will be no additional seasons planned, they left the door open to revisit the universe in other forms, including the possibility of a special or occasional new episodes. Cusack said their reps and Adult Swim assume the show will continue forever, but he and Hadel know what they think is best for the series, and they chose to end it while it remains strong.

Characters and tone of Season 3, and a final note from the creators

Season 3 finds characters Pim, Charlie and Flint and the rest of the cast "going absolutely bonkers" as they pursue their quest to spread joy. Cusack acknowledged how difficult it was to make the announcement, saying it was "very hard to even record this recording" and that the decision was painful because of the fans' devotion. He called the run "the ride of a lifetime, " expressed gratitude for the fans, and asked for understanding as the creators step back from regular production. Smiling Friends is available to stream the following day on HBO Max.