2025 turned out to be a great year for The Walking Dead universe, thanks to the debuts of Daryl Dixon season 3 and Dead City season 2. Fans would eventually receive more exciting news when AMC officially renewed both spinoffs for additional installments in July 2025.
While Daryl Dixon was given the green light for a fourth and final season, Dead City secured a third season. Since then, fans have been keeping themselves updated with every new development for each series. The cameras have already stopped rolling on both Daryl Dixon season 4 and Dead City season 3. At this moment, the new episodes for each show are currently being edited in post-production.
That means we're even closer to seeing both zombie series back on our screens. Well, at least that was the initial assumption. While Daryl Dixon season 4 has just been officially confirmed for a 2026 release by AMC, the network has also cast doubt on Dead City season 3 arriving in the same year.
Dead City season 3 might not premiere in 2026
On Feb. 11, AMC shared its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings report. There’s a section of the report that outlines the company’s operational highlights. In this section, AMC previews its projects planned for 2026. While Daryl Dixon season 4 was included in the lineup, Dead City season 3 was noticeably absent.
Now, here's the thing. Dead City season 3 was never confirmed to be coming out in 2026, but many believed that this would be the case. Honestly, it would make the most sense since it's already been filmed. However, with its omission from the network’s recent 2026 slate, fans are now left questioning whether the next installment could be pushed to a later date.
If that were to be the case, 2027 would likely be when the new season premiered. Any later than that would be an unusually long wait. It just wouldn't make any sense. However, a 2026 release would be much better. If it doesn't come out this year, then Daryl Dixon season 4 will be the only Walking Dead spinoff airing.
While AMC could choose this approach, doing so would reflect poorly on the network because it would leave a gap in programming, disappoint fans, and slow the momentum of the franchise. I doubt AMC wants to risk alienating its loyal audience or weakening The Walking Dead brand by leaving Dead City off the schedule for an extended period.
Perhaps Dead City season 3 was left off the 2026 lineup because AMC hasn’t quite figured out what it wants to do. It's worth noting that the lineup wasn't complete. While the report listed several shows for release in 2026, it also stated that “much more” is coming this year. Maybe Dead City season 3 is one of those unannounced projects, but until AMC provides clarity, fans are left speculating and hoping that the wait won't be too long.
Stay tuned to Undead Walking for more news and coverage on Dead City season 3!