Link Click Season 3 Part 1: Premiere date updates, cast news and plot details – Everything we know so far

The highly anticipated return of Link Click (Shiguang Dailiren) is right around the corner, and the updates are better than expected. Chinese streaming platform Bilibili and international networks have finally dropped firm broadcast schedules, a mind-bending trailer, and crucial details about the structure of the next arc.

The Premiere Date

​Fans are getting the new season sooner than originally anticipated.

• ​Official Premiere Date: August 14, 2026
• ​The Schedule Shift: Season 3 Part 1 was initially targeted for an October 2026 release window. However, alongside the release of the fifth-anniversary promotional materials, Bilibili officially moved the premiere date up to August.
• ​Episode Count & Structure: Season 3 is structured as a massive 24-episode split-cour season.
  • ​Part 1 will kick off this August with 12 episodes.
  • ​Part 2 is tentatively scheduled to follow sometime in 2027.
• ​Where to Watch: It will stream natively on Bilibili in China. For international fans, Crunchyroll has officially added Link Click Season 3 to its Summer 2026 simulcast lineup and has confirmed that an English dub will be produced alongside the subbed release.

​Plot Details & Trailer Breakdown

​If the trailers and promotional visuals are any indication, Season 3 is gearing up to be the darkest, most psychologically exhausting arc yet.

​The Central Theme: Fate cannot be easily undone, and manipulating “key nodes” comes with an immense, terrifying cost.

• ​A Forgotten Past: The latest PV opens with a groundbreaking flashback showing a young Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi as childhood friends playing at a train station. When the timeline flashes forward to their classic basketball court meeting, Cheng Xiaoshi notes he has zero memory of their prior connection. Lu Guang, however, remembers everything—including a profound “promise” they once made.
• ​The Shadowy Organization: The enigmatic Liu Xiao (Jae Lee) takes a major role this season. The trailer shows him reviewing classified, handwriting-covered dossiers on characters like Xia Fei and Jack. This links back to a cryptic organization tied closely to a hidden symbol and the word “Lucky.”
• ​Wits’ End: The trailer heavily features red text translating to “We are at our wits’ end / We have reached our limits,” suggesting both protagonists are buckling under the devastating psychological toll of their time-traveling exploits. We also see references to the number “12,” reminding audiences of their core 12-hour limit restriction.

​Cast & Production Team

​The fundamental creative driving force behind the donghua remains intact, ensuring the show keeps its signature style and tight pacing.

​Production Crew

• ​Director & Writer: Li Haoling (founder of Haoliners Animation League) returns to guide the intricate narrative.
• ​Animation Studio: LAN Studios is handling the animation production, maintaining the high-octane fluid action sequences and distinct aesthetic choices seen in the first two seasons.

​Voice Cast

​The core vocal talent is locked in to reprise their roles across both the original Mandarin and English dubs:

• Cheng Xiaoshi: Su Shangqing
• Lu Guang: Yang Tianxiang
• Qiao Ling: Li Shimeng

With the countdown locked to August 14, the Time Photo Studio is about to dive into its most perilous timeline yet.