Rick and Morty Season 8: Release Date, Episodes, Where to Watch

After an 18-month wait, Rick and Morty Season 8 returned to Adult Swim on May 25, 2025, delivering 10 new episodes that spanned from the reality-bending premiere “Summer of All Fears” to the finale “Hot Rick.”

Premiere Date: May 25, 2025 · Finale Date: July 27, 2025 · Network: Adult Swim · Streaming Platforms: Max, Hulu · Episode 1 Title: Summer of All Fears

The table below summarizes key Season 8 metadata sourced from official broadcaster listings and entertainment publications.

Will there be a season 8 for Rick and Morty?

Rick and Morty Season 8 is not only real—it wrapped up months ago. The season premiered on May 25, 2025, at 11 p.m. ET on Adult Swim, marking the show’s return after the longest hiatus in its history. DIRECTV Insider’s coverage confirmed the full episode schedule, with new episodes airing weekly on Sunday nights.

Premiere date

The Season 8 premiere, “Summer of All Fears,” dropped on May 25, 2025, drawing 0.30 million U.S. viewers according to Wikipedia’s episode records. The episode introduced viewers to a reality-bending plot involving Summer and Morty navigating a Matrix-like punishment from Rick, complete with a post-credits scene featuring Beth fighting Age Vampires in a Santa Fe spa.

Episode count and finale

The season comprises 10 episodes, concluding on July 27, 2025, with “Hot Rick” serving as the finale. All 81 episodes across eight seasons are available on Hulu’s official series page. The full episode list spans from May through late July 2025, maintaining the show’s traditional Sunday slot.

Official confirmation

Adult Swim’s official website confirms that Season 8 episodes are available on their platform and through streaming partners. The network’s promotional materials urged fans to “brush off your portal gun and get ready for more mind-bending, cringe-inducing, chaotic interdimensional adventures,” per DIRECTV Insider’s coverage.

The implication: after years of erratic release schedules, Season 8 proved the show could deliver a complete broadcast run within a single summer.

Where can I watch Rick and Morty season 8?

Season 8 is accessible through several streaming platforms, though availability varies by service. JustWatch’s streaming guide tracks current options across U.S. providers.

HBO Max availability

Max (formerly HBO Max) offers Season 8 as part of its comedy lineup. The platform streams new episodes the day after they air on Adult Swim. As of 2026, the entire season is available on-demand. Adult Swim’s official page confirms the Max partnership, noting that streaming “is the future” for the series.

Other streaming options

Hulu carries all eight seasons, including Season 8, at a subscription rate starting at $19.99 per month. YouTube TV and the Adult Swim website also provide access. For viewers preferring ownership, the season is available for purchase on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home, according to JustWatch’s purchase listings.

International access

No free streaming options exist for Season 8 as of the latest tracking by JustWatch. International availability may differ by region, and some territories require a VPN or region-specific subscription service to access U.S. platforms.

The catch: cord-cutters have solid options through Max or Hulu, but viewers without those subscriptions may face a paywall—there’s no ad-supported free tier offering new episodes.

Is Rick and Morty season 9 coming?

Season 9 has not been officially announced with a premiere date as of April 2026. Adult Swim’s official site makes no mention of a specific launch window for the next installment.

Trailer details

No Season 9 trailer has been publicly released. Reports suggesting otherwise remain unconfirmed by official sources, and fan discussions on platforms like Reddit have not produced verifiable evidence of promotional materials.

Announced plans

The show was ordered in May 2020 as part of a massive 70-episode deal, which was announced before Season 4 concluded. This deal covers multiple seasons, meaning production funding exists for continued episodes. However, an official announcement regarding Season 9’s status has not been issued by Adult Swim or Warner Bros. Discovery.

Total seasons outlook

Rumors that the series is capped at nine seasons have not been confirmed. The original deal structure allows flexibility, and neither the creators nor the network have publicly committed to an endpoint. The pattern suggests that additional seasons remain possible unless explicitly canceled.

Why is Rick and Morty season 8 delayed?

Season 8 broke the show’s six-year streak of annual or near-annual premieres. DIRECTV Insider’s coverage notes that the gap stemmed from production challenges and the show’s animation timeline.

Production history

Rick and Morty has never been known for tight production schedules. The 2020 order for 70 additional episodes came with the caveat that creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon would take their time. Season 7 premiered in 2023, and Season 8’s 2025 arrival marked an 18-month gap from its predecessor.

Release timeline shifts

The show’s release cadence has varied significantly. Seasons 1-3 arrived yearly from 2013 to 2017. Then came the infamous “Pickle Rick” delay between Seasons 3 and 4, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on animation pipelines. Season 8’s delay fits a pattern of production-driven scheduling rather than network decisions.

6-year streak break

Before Season 8, the show maintained a relatively consistent output since 2019. The extended wait tested viewer patience, with Reddit discussions speculating about the delay’s causes. Some fans attributed it to animation outsourcing changes; others pointed to creator burnout. The actual reasons remain partially unclear.

The trade-off: the delay allowed for what many consider the show’s most ambitious animation work, but it also contributed to declining premiere viewership compared to earlier seasons.

Rick and Morty season 8 episode 1

“Summer of All Fears” opened Season 8 on May 25, 2025, introducing a high-concept premise that drew from the show’s multiverse mythology. Wikipedia’s episode guide provides the most detailed breakdown of the premiere.

Plot summary

The episode traps Summer and Morty in a simulated reality as punishment orchestrated by Rick. The duo must escape, mature through their ordeal, and ultimately undergo a memory wipe—setting up classic Rick and Morty existential dread. The post-credits scene pivots to Beth, who battles Age Vampires in a Santa Fe spa, a visual gag that became a fan favorite still-image shared across social media.

Air date

“Summer of All Fears” aired May 25, 2025, at 11 p.m. ET on Adult Swim, as confirmed by DIRECTV Insider’s episode guide. It was directed by Fill Marc Sagadraca and written by Jess Lacher.

Reception

The premiere drew 0.30 million U.S. viewers, a figure notably lower than earlier seasons’ debuts. Fan reactions on Reddit were mixed—some praised the ambitious return to form, while others felt the episode leaned too heavily on meta-commentary. Official critical aggregators have not published a Season 8 consensus score as of this writing.

The pattern: premiere viewership has declined from the show’s peak, but dedicated fans and streaming numbers suggest the audience remains engaged despite the gap.

Summary

Rick and Morty Season 8 completed its 10-episode run on July 27, 2025, delivering weekly doses of chaotic sci-fi comedy through the Adult Swim network. Viewers can catch the full season on Max, Hulu, or the Adult Swim website, with purchase options available through major digital retailers. The season confirmed the show remains active but revealed declining premiere viewership compared to earlier years. For fans waiting on Season 9, the wait continues—no official date exists, though the 70-episode production deal provides contractual backing for more content.