Crunchyroll’s NYCC Announcements Include Webtoon Adaptation Deal, ‘Sekiro’ And ‘Ghost Of Tsushima’ Updates

Webcomics are becoming one of the hottest sources of new IP in animation today, and Crunchyroll is getting involved with some viral titles before adaptations even start production. The Sony-owned anime streamer has teamed with Hayate and Webtoon Entertainment subsidiary Line Digital Frontier to develop potential anime adaptations of around 15 webcomic titles, giving it a role in shaping projects from the outset.

Unveiled at Crunchyroll’s New York Comic Con showcase on Thursday, the agreement brings the companies together at the development stage, with Hayate leading production. Crunchyroll will exclusively stream the resulting productions in select territories. So, to clarify, the 15 titles aren’t greenlit for production yet; only their co-development has been given the go-ahead for now.

The deal adds to Webtoon’s growing animation ambitions, following its expanded partnership with Warner Bros. Animation, Amazon MGM Studios’ order for a Lore Olympus adaptation from Webtoon and The Jim Henson Company, and a partnership with Disney, which took a 2% stake in the company.

Alongside the agreement, Crunchyroll announced anime adaptations of The Remarried Empress and The Boxer, releasing promotional trailers for both, plus a new teaser for Teenage Mercenary.

The showcase also delivered release details, first looks, and trailers across Crunchyroll’s upcoming slate. Among the highlights:

• Sekiro: No Defeat: The fully hand-drawn adaptation of the video game will debut exclusively on Crunchyroll in January 2027 as an eight-episode series. Kadokawa, Qzil.la, and ARCH are producing.
• Ghost of Tsushima Legends: Attendees saw a work-in-progress trailer for the series, which is targeting a 2028 release. Based on the game’s online multiplayer mode, Hayate and PlayStation Productions are producing it, with Takanobu Mizuno directing and Gen Urobuchi handling series composition and scripts.
• Kagurabachi and EAT-MAN: Crunchyroll presented new character art for Kagurabachi, arriving in 2027, and a first look at a new EAT-MAN anime adaptation.
• Romance and returning series: New trailers debuted for Here U Are, Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret, and The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All. The showcase also previewed Berserk of Gluttony season two and revealed that LiSA will perform the opening theme for Magical Buffs: The Support Caster is Stronger Than He Realized!
• Theatrical releases: Ufotable’s Witch on the Holy Night will open January 29, 2027, through Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Meanwhile, the first five episodes of Yuri!!! on ICE will screen in U.S. and Canadian theaters on October 19 for its tenth anniversary.
• Manga and games: Crunchyroll Manga’s catalog will exceed 450 titles following an October update. The Witch on the Holy Night visual novel will also join Crunchyroll Game Vault in 2027.

The announcements accompanied a separate Crunchyroll-commissioned study examining how anime audiences discover and engage with the art form. As our roundup of its key findings details, engagement often extends beyond viewing into comics, music, and merchandise.