Crunchyroll is gearing up for summer 2026 by revealing the new anime series coming to its catalog, and it may have already unveiled what could be the isekai of the year. 2026 has been marked by the return of some long-running isekai series like Re:Zero and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, but so far, no new anime has been able to aspire to the top of the genre. Fortunately, a new isekai has the best combination of the RPG elements that made Solo Leveling a hit, with the challenging world of The Rising of the Shield Hero.
Among the reasons Solo Leveling achieved worldwide success is not only that Sung Jinwoo starts out as the typical underdog anime protagonist aspiring to become stronger but also its stunning animation. On the other hand, although its popularity waned with later seasons, The Rising of the Shield Hero was one of the biggest isekai series that catapulted the genre to fame, drawing viewers in by giving Naofumi a defense-oriented power, uncommon in action anime.
Besides adapting light novels, both series also demonstrated a knack for subverting common anime tropes regarding overpowered characters. Fortunately, viewers looking to relive the feeling of watching a hero grow in Solo Levelling and The Rising of the Shield Hero shouldn’t miss Crunchyroll’s upcoming series, The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System, which is already showing signs that it could become anime’s next big hit.
Crunchyroll’s New Isekai Combines Solo Leveling and Shield Hero With a Gaming Twist
Fans of power fantasy anime where the protagonists prove everyone wrong after being terribly mistreated have a lot to look forward to in The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System. Following Elymas, who recalls that the world he inhabits is based on a video game he played in his past life, on the same day as the ritual in which his class was assigned, the series begins in a very similar way to The Rising of the Shield Hero, with the protagonist being rejected after receiving a power focused on defense considered useless among his peers.
However, Elymas, unlike Naofumi, has knowledge of the mechanics of his new MMORPG-like world to unlock the full potential of the Heavy Knight class. While necessary for his initial survival as an adventurer after being scorned, Elymas’s focus on ranking up quickly is reminiscent of Jinwoo’s fighting dangerous creatures, grinding rewards, and entering dungeons, with his memories acting as his own guide system. Additionally, despite not acting alone but forming a group of two, Elymas also enjoys the adrenaline rush that comes from fighting creatures stronger than him.
The series also introduces a sadistic character who is as easy to hate as Malty S. Melromarc in Shield Hero. Even so, although its beginning may sound generic, The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System manages to appeal even to those tired of isekai, as it doesn’t focus on clichés like instant cheat skills or harem like most anime. Instead, the series’ biggest charm is how it showcases the protagonist’s development through effort, featuring exciting strategy-based battles that keep viewers entertained at all times.
A New Video Game Isekai Anime Could Be the Genre’s Next Big Hit
Isekai anime set in video game worlds, such as Log Horizon, Overlord, and more recently, A Wild Last Boss Appeared, have won over fans during the last decade. Yet, those that truly use video game mechanics as more than an extra narrative resource are anime that skirt the isekai genre without fully embracing it, like Bofuri or Shangri-La Frontier. Luckily, in The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System, the protagonist thinks in a sort of gameplay style, and the story takes its time developing its lore, making fans feel like they are exploring a vast open-world MMORPG.
Every New Isekai Anime Coming To Streaming In 2026
For those who have difficulty keeping up with all the upcoming releases, here is a complete list of all the new isekai anime confirmed for 2026.
Even so, the only thing that could make The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System stand out as much as Solo Leveling is its animation. Despite being produced by Studio GoHands, known for its maximalist animation style with odd angles and excessive camera movements, The Exiled Heavy Knight already impresses with its incredibly fluid animation and backgrounds with an astonishing level of detail. This hints that, with good direction, the anime could look gorgeous.
The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System Already Looks Epic
Studio GoHands has a bad reputation due to their direction issues, with its most infamous works being original anime, so The Exiled Heavy Knight could be the ideal project for them because it has a light novel as its source material, and its manga adaptation has stood out for its fantastic art, with monsters featuring epic designs and great dynamism that make the battles very easy to follow.
Furthermore, it seems the production team has high hopes for the anime, as it will have two consecutive cours airing simultaneously, something that isn’t common nowadays with new adaptations. Holding a lot of potential that should be overlooked by fans of Solo Leveling and The Rising of the Shield Hero, The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System is scheduled for July 2nd on Crunchyroll, with the manga available on KManga for Western readers who want to take a look at the story before its release.