Blue Lock Season 3 is all set to start the second phase of Blue Lock called ‘The Neo Egoist League‘. But before jumping into that, there are still a few chapters from the U-20 arc left to be adapted.
Blue Lock Season 2 ended with Ego declaring that Phase 1 of Blue Lock was officially complete. He also asked the Japan Football Union for permission to move ahead.
The deal was simple, whoever won the National Representative match between Blue Lock and Japan’s U-20 team would take control of the Japan National Football team. Now that Blue Lock won, Ego announced the next phase, the Neo Egoist League.
What is the Neo Egoist League in Blue Lock?
The Neo Egoist League, or NEL, is the second phase of Blue Lock and is still ongoing in the manga, with 288 chapters released so far. This phase takes things to the next level, going global to train Blue Lock players for the U-20 World Cup.
Blue Lock players get to pick one of five countries, Germany, England, Spain, Italy, or France to train in. They will help build their skills while competing in a fast-paced tournament called NEL, and only the best will get the chance to represent Japan in the U-20 World Cup.
After Blue Lock beat Japan’s U-20 team, Ego got full control of the Japan National Team. With more funding and sponsors backing him, he turned training into a huge global event streamed live on Blue Lock TV.
The NEL ranking system called the Blue Lock Auction, lets football clubs place bids on players based on how well they perform. The better they play, the higher their value. By the end, the top 23 players will make it to Japan’s U-20 team for the World Cup.
BLUE LOCK SEASON 2'S ENDING! NEO EGOIST LEAGUE, KUNIGAMIS RETURN AND KAISER SPEAKS! pic.twitter.com/2frZOWOOnj
— seán-ta claus 🇵🇸 (@kagurabachis) December 28, 2024
Blue Lock Season 3 Release Date
Blue Lock Season 3 has not yet been officially announced by Eight Bit. There were a lot of issues inside the studio, which is why Season 2’s animation was pretty bad.
A developer who worked on Episode 2 of Season 2 spoke about the problems two months ago. They said they were supposed to work on five episodes, but after seeing the state of the production, they decided to leave after just one episode.
For Episode 2, they had to animate 20 cuts from scratch, but the real issues didn’t show up until later. Even though the animators gave it their best despite the low pay and tight deadlines, a lot of their work got “capped” (basically, movements and frames were removed or changed).
The problem was not with the animators but with the production committee, who cared more about profits than the workers conditions.
Blue Lock Season 1 of Blue Lock had 24 episodes and aired in October 2022. Blue Lock Season 2 had 14 episodes and started in October 2024. If they stick to this pattern, Blue Lock Season 3 might air in October 2026.
Blue Lock Season 2 Finale Recap
The match reached its peak as Rin and Sae Itoshi faced off in a fierce 1v1. Rin went Memories of their past clashed with the intensity of the present, as Sae tried to outplay Rin with his signature moves. Rin was not backing down, though, matching every play and finally disrupting Sae’s attack.
The ball bounced unpredictably, and everyone froze until Isagi appeared in the perfect spot at the perfect time.
Isagi struck a clean volley, sending the ball straight into the net. The stadium erupted as the Blue Lock Eleven claimed a 4-3 victory. Isagi celebrated, his teammates piling on him, while Ego clenched his fist in satisfaction.
Sae reflected on his underestimation of Japanese football, praising Isagi for igniting Rin’s fire. Rin, however, was furious when he realized the praise wasn’t for him.
After everything, Igaguri pushed Isagi into an interview, he boldly declared his goal, to lead Japan to victory in the U-20 World Cup.
Back in the locker room, Blue Lock celebrated their hard-earned victory. Ego showed up, congratulating them but also warning that they have reached a point of no return.
As the team left, only Rin and Isagi remained. Isagi admitted the final goal wouldn’t have been possible without Rin. Rin, however, saw things differently, he declared Isagi his rival. The episode ended with Ego announcing the Egoist League.
