One of the coolest animated shows has finally set a release date for its Season 2 return with Adult Swim, so it’s time to get ready for the show’s big comeback. Adult Swim has been on a tear for the past couple of years as fans have seen some truly cool animated and live-action projects coming to the adult programming block, and some of these efforts have been fully recognized with some big awards wins and nominations. That’s especially the case for Common Side Effects following its debut last year.
Common Side Effects kicked off a wild new pharmaceutical conspiracy when the animated series made its debut with Adult Swim last year, and thankfully quickly confirmed that there was already a second season on the way. As one of the many projects Adult Swim brought to New York Comic Con 2026 to showcase for the future, it’s now been confirmed that Common Side Effects Season 2 will be making its debut in January 2027.
As announced during a special panel over the New York Comic Con 2026 weekend, Common Side Effects Season 2 will be making its debut with Adult Swim on on Sunday, January 24 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT with new episodes then being made available for streaming with HBO Max the next day. Common Side Effects made its debut last year with a very intriguing core premise that was unlike anything that fans had seen in the other shows with the channel. A political thriller sparked by a miracle drug, there seemed to be a ton of new layers to explore.
Common Side Effects was created by Joe Bennett (who also co-created Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (Veep, American Dad!, The Office), and produced by Bandera and Green Street Pictures with Mike Judge and Greg Daniels (King of the Hill) serving as executive producers (along with Judge providing the voice behind a few characters). The series introduces fans to Marshall (Dave King), who stumbles on a mushroom that can instantly heal people. And naturally it’s not long before the government steps in to try to cover it all up before it brings down the entire health industrial complex.
“We remain committed to asking important questions, capturing life’s absurdity, telling surprising stories and, whenever possible, advancing our long-term mission of healing humanity through mysterious mushrooms,” said Bennett and Hely about the coming season of Common Side Effects. “So if you’re one of humanity’s ills, know this: your days are numbered.” In speaking with ComicBook last year, the creators are hoping for a long run with this story too and maybe even further beyond a second season.
“…[W]e’ve pitched out a second season, and we have begun some work on a second season,” said Hely ahead of the first season’s release. “We hope to tell these stories for a long time to come. We’re here talking to you to spread the word and make sure people watch the show…But in success, yeah, I hope we keep going for a long time.” If this second season is just as much of a success as the first, then there’s a chance even more can be on the way.
Are you excited for Common Side Effects to return for Season 2? What are you hoping to see in the new episodes? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments!
