The platform Crunchyroll issued an official statement to clarify recent issues affecting subtitles for some of its fall 2025 season premieres. In recent days, several users have noticed changes to the font, size, and format of subtitles, leading to speculation about a possible change of providers or the use of artificial intelligence.
Internal failure, not artificial intelligence
In response to queries from specialized media, a Crunchyroll spokesperson explained that the problems were caused by internal failures in their systems and not by changes in their subtitling process. “Over the past few days, some users have experienced delays accessing desired content and issues with subtitles on certain series. These were caused by internal system issues — not by any changes to how we create subtitles, nor by the use of new providers or artificial intelligence,” the company said.
The statement added that the errors have already been corrected: “Those internal issues have been completely resolved. Quality subtitles are an essential part of what makes watching anime on Crunchyroll special. They connect the world's fans to the heart of each story, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”
Rumors about software change
On social media, several users had speculated that Crunchyroll had replaced the software Aegisub by the Israeli platform OOONA for the creation of subtitles, supposedly starting with the fall 2025 season. However, the company limited itself to issuing its official statement and did not confirm or deny which programs it has used in the past or currently uses to subtitle its catalog.
Crunchyroll internal restructuring
The company has gone through major changes over the last year. In August, layoffs were reported in several areas, as well as personnel reassignments and the creation of new engineering centers in the United States, Mexico and India, with the aim of “driving innovation and strengthening technological transformation.”
Crunchyroll is an independently operated company under an alliance between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex. In 2021, the Funimation group—also belonging to Sony—completed the acquisition of Crunchyroll for $1.175 billion, integrating its physical releases under the same brand.
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