The official Twitter account of the Animate store in Machida in Tokyo posted an image on Friday featuring the cover of the upcoming 12th volume of Kugane Maruyama's Overlord novel series (cover pictured at right). The wraparound jacket band on the volume reveals that the anime adaptation's previously announced second season will premiere in January 2018. The jacket band also reveals that Madhouse will return to animate the series. The novel volume officially ships on Saturday.

The 13-episode Overlord television anime series premiered in Japan in July 2015. Funimation streamed the anime series as it aired in Japan, and the company released the series with an English dub on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on November 8.

The first compilation film, Overlord: Fushisha no Ō, opened in Japan on February 25. The second film, Overlord: Shikkoku no Senshi , opened on March 11. The films added new scenes, and original character designer (and original novel illustrator) so-bin drew rough drafts for new characters. The 11th novel volume also bundled a Blu-ray Disc in September 2016.

The novels and anime's story takes place in the year 2138 when virtual reality gaming is booming. Yggdrasil, a popular online game, is quietly shut down one day. However, the protagonist Momonga decides to not log out. Momonga is then transformed into the image of a skeleton as "the most powerful wizard." The world continues to change, with non-player characters (NPCs) beginning to feel emotion. Having no parents, friends, or place in society, this ordinary young man Momonga then strives to take over the new world the game has become.

Maruyama began the original light novel series online in 2010, and Kadokawa's Enterbrain imprint then published it in print with illustrations by so-bin in 2012. The series has over 2.5 million copies in print in Japan. Yen Press is releasing the novel series in North America. The company is also releasing Hugin Miyama and Satoshi Ōshio's manga adaptation.

[Via Otakomu]