Today, the animation fandom is coming together to mourn the loss of a rare gift. Scavengers Reign has been cancelled after just one season. Joe Bennett, the series’s co-creator, shared the upsetting news with the world in an emotional post. According to Bennett, the decision came from above at Netflix despite fighting tirelessly for the innovative series.
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“As of right now, Scavengers Reign is not being renewed for a second season,” the creator explained. “I wanted to let everyone know directly because I really love our fanbase, they’ve been such champions for the show, and I don’t want to leave everyone hanging.”
Scavengers Reign Season Two Is Not Happening
In this post, Bennett goes on to unpack the long road that led Scavengers Reign to its release. The team has been fighting for the sci-fi drama since 2016, and even after a series order was given, the blows did not stop. From Max to Netflix, Scavengers Reign did whatever it took to make its debut, but Bennett says the road has now closed on the show.
“We’ve had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way to get this show made, starting all the way back in 2016 with the Scavengers short film to the release of the first season last year. It’s a case study for believing in something and persevering through a million and one hurdles. But, it got made, thanks especially to so many people who supported it along the way, in big and small ways.”
To pay tribute to the top-rated series, Bennett paired this cancellation news with a peek at how season two could have looked. The co-creator said the series has more story to be told, and before this cancellation was made final, the staff worked with Green Street to craft a season two teaser. Now, that footage has been shared with the world, and it shows what might have been if Netflix had chosen to keep up with Scavengers Reign.
Scavengers Reign Deserved So Much Better Than It Got
From start to finish, Scavengers Reign is a gorgeous TV show, and its animation is otherworldly in the best way. Critics rallied around the animated title upon its release in October 2023 and again in 2024 when Netflix assumed control of the show. With a stellar rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Scavengers Reign has been described as a harrowing yet lush tale of survival that unpacks the nuance of humanity. From its writing to its pacing, Scavengers Reign is a masterclass in science fiction, so Netflix’s blow hurts something fierce.
The move hurts doubly so given the grief Scavengers Reign has experienced behind the scenes. Bennett and co-creator Charles Huettner pitched the story back in 2016 with an Adult Swim short. The pair went on to expand the story behind the scenes, but a pilot was never given the go-ahead at Adult Swim. Later, Max (then HBO Max) would order a 12-episode season of Scavengers Reign, but its release was mangled.
Unfortunately, the show became a victim of Max’s push against animation under Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Scavengers Reign was cut from Max after just a few episodes, and it was Netflix that scooped up the show afterwards. The animated series went on to earn rave reviews at Netflix, but that love was not enough for executives. Bennett has confirmed Scavengers Reign season two is dead, and the fandom can only mourn the show’s lost potential.
What do you make of this Scavengers Reign update? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
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