The phrase 'next year' currently sounds like a long time to wait for a follow-up to one's favourite series, but technically, 2016 is actually just two weeks away. For anime fans, this means they're inching closer to the release of "Attack on Titan" season 2.

"Attack on Titan" (or "Shingeki no Kyojin") season 2 has no clear release date at the moment, but it will definitely premiere some time in 2016, probably no later than June.

Initial reports say that it will debut in February, which is rooted in the fact that a new game in the franchise for the Sony platforms (PlayStation 3, 4, and Vita) is scheduled to be launched during that same month as well. Christian Post says that season 2 will probably premiere close to the release of the video game.

While that remains a possibility, the probable release will most likely be at a later date, sometime mid-2016, which according to Yibada, was already given confirmation by director Tetsuro Araki. While no exact date was given, fans can at least expect the new season to happen roughly before June next year.

While all these reports about a premiere date are great, spoilers make everything doubly exciting. While it is not a surprising thing when adaptations from books or mangas deviate from the source, it can be for fans in this case. Rumour has it that season 2 won't do just a mere deviation but an altogether different story arc. That puts the guessing game on a whole different level.

Some of the more surprising spoilers have been posted over at the Manga Helpers' Forum, and one that stood out the most involves the manga's "storm-y" Chapter 73. The upcoming season will supposedly feature events that will eventually lead to Levi Ackerman's death. It is also in that chapter that Levi attempts to save the Shiganshina trio, Armin Arlert, Mikasa Ackerman, and Eren Yeager.

But with reports that there will be significant changes made to the storyline, just how much of this pans out in season two remains to be seen.

"Attack on Titan" season 2 is expected in 2016, with no exact release date yet. Stay tuned for updates.