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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
World
Bernadette B. Tixon

Crunchyroll's 'New Era' Begins With Death of Free Service as Anime Fans Revolt Over AI Subtitles and Paywalls

Crunchyroll X
Crunchyroll kills its free streaming service on 31 December 2025, leaving fans without free access to hit series like Chainsaw Man and Spy x Family (Credit: Screenshot from X/Twitter)

Free anime streaming on Crunchyroll is dead. Well, it will be after 31 December anyway. The platform dropped the news on ad-supported viewers this week via a pop-up message that's since gone viral on Reddit and X.

The message doesn't mince words: 'Ad-supported streaming ends December 31, 2025. Upgrade now to ensure your viewing is 100% ad-free and uninterrupted.' Translation? Pay up or get lost. No more watching with ads. No grandfather clause for longtime users. Just a hard cutoff on New Year's Eve whilst everyone's celebrating.

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