FLINT BASE Adds MAPPA and Production I.G as Partners, Opens Second Cohort Recruiting
The addition of two major studios as partners broadens FLINT BASE's training pipeline beyond its founding studios, signaling a collective industry push to address animator development.
Key Facts
- MAPPA and Production I.G will join FLINT BASE as partner studios, alongside existing partners CloverWorks and A-1 Pictures.
- CloverWorks will continue to handle operations at FLINT BASE, with its cooperative structure with A-1 Pictures continuing.
- FLINT BASE plans to begin recruiting new graduates for its second cohort in September 2026, with the trainees joining in April 2027.
- The announcement was made on August 21, 2026, via official news posts on both the A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks websites.
Reporting from 2 sources: CloverWorks, A-1 Pictures.
FLINT BASE, the animation studio established by CloverWorks and A-1 Pictures, is strengthening its management structure and preparing to recruit a second cohort of trainees. On August 21, 2026, CloverWorks and A-1 Pictures announced that MAPPA and Production I.G will join as partner studios. CloverWorks will continue to handle day-to-day operations, and the cooperative arrangement with A-1 Pictures will remain in place. The expanded partner network is intended to reinforce the studio's training system and support the development of animators. In terms of hiring, FLINT BASE plans to begin recruiting new graduates for its second cohort, who will join in April 2027, starting in September 2026. Application guidelines and other details are expected to be posted sequentially on the FLINT BASE official website. The announcement was published simultaneously on the A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks official news pages, both dated August 21, 2026.
FLINT BASE was set up as a joint training studio by CloverWorks and A-1 Pictures, and the new arrangement keeps both founding studios in place while adding MAPPA and Production I.G as partners. CloverWorks remains the operating studio, and its cooperation with A-1 Pictures continues. The expanded partnership is described in the announcements as a way to strengthen the training structure and increase focus on nurturing animators.
The second cohort recruitment follows the studio's initial intake, with new graduate hiring scheduled to begin in September 2026 for positions starting April 2027. The official notices from both A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks give the same details: application guidelines and further information will be released gradually on the FLINT BASE website. The announcements do not specify a timeline for the first cohort or any change in the studio's day-to-day management.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.