Dragon Ball Super: Beerus comes to Netflix on October 17, leaving Crunchyroll in limbo

Netflix has confirmed that Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, the 19-episode remake produced by Toei Animation, will be available on its platform starting October 17. The announcement caught a good chunk of the fandom off guard, as many had long assumed Crunchyroll would be the natural home for anything related to Dragon Ball.

And for good reason. Crunchyroll has served as the streaming home of Dragon Ball Super for years, so seeing this remake land on Netflix raises an inevitable question: what happens now with Crunchyroll's catalog?

A remake designed for new audiences

For those unfamiliar with this project, Dragon Ball Super: Beerus is not a new series. Toei has redone the God of Destruction Beerus arc—the one that kicked off Dragon Ball Super in 2015—with a 19-episode runtime. The goal is to offer a more compact and polished version of that first storyline, which fits perfectly with Netflix's strategy of reaching viewers who didn't grow up watching the original series.

What hasn't been confirmed is whether this remake will also make its way to Crunchyroll, whether it's a temporary deal, or whether Netflix has signed an exclusive. Toei hasn't shared any details, so for now we'll just have to wait.

The start of a catalog split?

This move is somewhat reminiscent of what's happened with other major franchises like Saint Seiya or One Piece, where platforms split titles and arcs based on regional agreements. It wouldn't be surprising if Toei is exploring new distribution windows for Dragon Ball, especially considering the saga's global pull.

For Crunchyroll subscribers, the news brings some uncertainty. If Netflix keeps the franchise's most recent premieres, what role is left for the platform that had been the go-to destination for Dragon Ball anime? The answer, for now, remains unclear.

What we do know is that Dragon Ball Super: Beerus premieres on October 17 on Netflix. Will we see the remake on Crunchyroll later on, or is it time to switch platforms? Let me know in the comments.