The S.W.A.T. universe is getting another chapter.
S.W.A.T. Exiles, the new spinoff starring Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, is officially coming to STARZ on September 25, 2026. Sony Pictures Television announced on June 29 that the series had landed at STARZ in the U.S. while also securing distribution deals across major international markets. Deadline reported the same day that the series would premiere on the network September 25.
The new series brings Moore back as Hondo, but this time he won’t simply be leading the same S.W.A.T. team viewers knew from the original show. He is being pulled out of forced retirement to train a new experimental unit made up of young recruits.
Shemar Moore Is Back As Hondo
Moore returns as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, the character he played throughout the original S.W.A.T. series.
The new story begins after a high-profile mission goes wrong, leaving Hondo in forced retirement. He is then given another opportunity to return to S.W.A.T. by taking charge of an experimental unit made up of inexperienced and unpredictable recruits. Sony’s official synopsis describes Hondo’s challenge as building those outsiders into a functioning team while trying to save the program itself.
That gives Exiles a straightforward way to continue Hondo’s story without simply recreating the original series.
Hondo Has A Completely Different Team
The biggest change is the new squad.
The team includes Lucy Barrett as Sammy Bishop, Adain Bradley as Malik Anderson, Zyra Gorecki as Cassidy Reed, Freddy Miyares as Ethan Cole and Ronen Rubinstein as Jude Callan. Sony describes them as an experimental group of young recruits who are talented but far from a conventional S.W.A.T. unit.
Hondo therefore has two problems to solve: teaching these recruits how to operate as a team and dealing with the personalities and conflicts that come with putting them together.
The series is built around that mentor-and-recruits dynamic, with Hondo effectively having to rebuild a team from scratch.
Familiar S.W.A.T. Faces Are Returning
S.W.A.T. Exiles isn’t completely cutting ties with the original series.
Jay Harrington returns as Sergeant David “Deacon” Kay, while Patrick St. Esprit returns as Commander Robert Hicks. David Lim will also return as Victor Tan in the penultimate episode.
Their appearances give the spinoff a direct connection to the original show while allowing the new recruits to remain the main focus.
Moore is also an executive producer on the series alongside Jason Ning, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty and others, with Ning serving as showrunner.
The Original S.W.A.T. Ended After Eight Seasons
The timing of Exiles is interesting because the original S.W.A.T. had only recently ended.
CBS’ S.W.A.T. ran for eight seasons from 2017 to 2025, with Moore playing Hondo throughout its run. The series was canceled by CBS in March 2025 before its final season concluded.
That made S.W.A.T. Exiles a fairly quick continuation of the franchise rather than a distant revival.
Instead of bringing back the entire original ensemble, Sony and STARZ are using Hondo as the bridge between the two shows.
S.W.A.T. Exiles Has 10 Episodes
The first season will consist of 10 episodes.
Sony Pictures Television is producing and distributing the series globally, with the studio announcing sales across Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa alongside the STARZ pickup.
The U.S. episodes will premiere on STARZ, while selected international territories are scheduled to receive the series day-and-date.
When Does S.W.A.T. Exiles Premiere?
S.W.A.T. Exiles premieres Friday, September 25, 2026, on STARZ.
The series will also stream through STARZ’s digital and on-demand platforms. Sony’s official series page confirms the September 25 launch date.
The show has since gained another major vote of confidence: Season 2 was renewed before the first season premiered, with Shemar Moore announcing the news in August.
For S.W.A.T. fans, that means Hondo’s story won’t end with these 10 episodes.
The original series may have finished after eight seasons, but with S.W.A.T. Exiles, STARZ and Sony are betting that there is still plenty of life left in the franchise.
