The Wait Is Over: 7 Crucial Details About Chicago P.D. Season 13’s January 2026 Return

The wait is finally coming to an end. After a high-stakes fall finale that left the Intelligence Unit reeling and a critical member's life hanging in the balance, fans of the gritty police drama Chicago P.D. can mark their calendars for the show’s highly anticipated mid-season return. The most current and up-to-date information confirms that the next batch of episodes—continuing the intense Season 13—will begin airing in early 2026, picking up right where the drama left off.

As of December 2025, the newest "start" for the series is its Winter Premiere, which is set to kick off the second half of the current season. This article breaks down the confirmed return date, the full returning cast, the major plot threads to watch, and everything else you need to know about the next chapter for Sergeant Hank Voight and his dedicated team.

Chicago P.D. Season 13 Mid-Season Return Date and Core Cast Biography

The long-running Dick Wolf procedural, part of the successful "One Chicago" franchise, is set to reclaim its spot on the NBC schedule in the new year. Following the traditional winter hiatus, the show will return to its usual time slot, promising to resolve the major cliffhanger from the fall finale.

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• Official Return Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026
• Time Slot: 10/9c on NBC
• Streaming: New episodes will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
• Current Season: Season 13 (The season premiered in the fall of 2025).

Intelligence Unit: The Confirmed Returning Main Cast for Season 13

The backbone of the series remains the ensemble cast, whose complex personal lives often intertwine with the demanding and morally ambiguous cases handled by the Intelligence Unit. Fans will be relieved to know that the following core actors and characters are confirmed to return for the second half of Season 13.

• Jason Beghe as Sergeant Hank Voight: The fiercely protective, often rule-bending leader of the Intelligence Unit. Voight’s commitment to justice, regardless of the cost, continues to be the moral center (or lack thereof) of the show.
• Patrick John Flueger as Officer Adam Ruzek: A dedicated officer whose journey has involved deep undercover work and a complex, on-again-off-again relationship with Burgess.
• Marina Squerciati as Detective Kim Burgess: A resilient detective and mother who balances the high-pressure demands of Intelligence with her personal life, including her relationship with Ruzek.
• LaRoyce Hawkins as Officer Kevin Atwater: A principled officer who has evolved into the moral compass of the team, often grappling with the systemic issues of policing.
• Amy Morton as Desk Sergeant Trudy Platt: The beloved, no-nonsense precinct sergeant who provides crucial support and occasional comic relief to the 21st District.

The Grave Danger Cliffhanger: What to Expect from the Winter Premiere

The mid-season premiere is not just a return to the schedule; it’s a direct continuation of the intense storyline that concluded the first half of Season 13. The fall finale delivered a classic Chicago P.D. cliffhanger, leaving a key member of the Intelligence Unit in a position of "grave danger." This narrative device ensures that the January 2026 return will be explosive, demanding immediate viewership.

The episode will immediately address the fallout from the high-stakes operation that went sideways. Expect the entire unit to mobilize, with Voight taking a particularly aggressive, no-holds-barred approach to rescue his colleague. These types of life-or-death scenarios are where the show excels, pushing the characters—and their moral boundaries—to the absolute limit. The theme of family and loyalty within the unit will be heavily tested as the team races against time.

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Key Storylines and Topical Authority for Season 13

Beyond the immediate cliffhanger resolution, the second half of Season 13 is expected to delve deeper into several long-running and new storylines, maintaining the show's reputation for topical and character-driven drama. The writers continue to explore themes of police accountability, community relations, and the personal toll the job takes on the officers.

• Ruzek and Burgess’s Complex Future: The dynamic between Adam Ruzek and Kim Burgess (affectionately known as 'Upstead' by fans) remains central. Their relationship, which includes co-parenting their daughter Makayla, is constantly tested by the dangers of their work. The new episodes are expected to further explore their commitment to each other and their family life, especially as a case hits close to home—a homicide in the neighborhood where they reside.
• Atwater's Ethical Battles: Kevin Atwater's character arc has consistently focused on the ethical dilemmas faced by modern policing. His storyline is likely to continue challenging the status quo, forcing him to make difficult choices that affect his standing within the department and his relationship with the community.
• Voight's Moral Code: Sgt. Voight is the master of navigating the gray areas of the law. Season 13 is expected to present him with new, complex adversaries that force him to rely on his old-school, often questionable, methods. This will inevitably put him at odds with the changing landscape of the CPD.

The One Chicago Universe: The January 2026 Lineup

The return of Chicago P.D. is part of the larger mid-season return for the entire "One Chicago" lineup, which dominates Wednesday nights on NBC. This coordinated schedule ensures fans can enjoy all three dramas back-to-back, often setting the stage for minor or major crossover events throughout the winter and spring.

The full "One Chicago" mid-season premiere schedule for Wednesday, January 7, 2026, is as follows:

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1. 8/7c: Chicago Med (Season 11 Mid-Season Return)
2. 9/8c: Chicago Fire (Season 14 Mid-Season Return)
3. 10/9c: Chicago P.D. (Season 13 Mid-Season Return)

While a full-scale, three-show crossover event is not always guaranteed for the winter premiere, the shows frequently feature smaller, organic crossovers. This means viewers should keep an eye out for characters like Trudy Platt, or even members of the Fire and Med teams, making appearances to assist Intelligence with their high-stakes cases. The interconnectedness of the Dick Wolf universe is a core strength of the franchise, and the January 2026 return will undoubtedly leverage this topical authority.

Beyond the Premiere: What Happens After the January 7th Start?

While the January 7, 2026, date marks the official return, fans should be aware that the schedule, like all network television, is subject to occasional interruptions. Historically, the show airs new episodes for several weeks before taking another short break, often in February, before resuming the final push toward the season finale in May.

The remainder of Season 13 is expected to feature approximately 10 to 12 more episodes, leading up to the Season 13 finale, which is typically scheduled for the third or fourth week of May. This structure provides plenty of time for deep character exploration, intense case-of-the-week stories, and a build-up to another significant end-of-season cliffhanger.

For now, all attention is focused on the January 7th winter premiere. The resolution of the fall finale cliffhanger—and the fate of the endangered Intelligence member—is the immediate, compelling reason to tune in. The enduring appeal of Chicago P.D. lies in its dedication to character development and its unflinching look at the complexities of law enforcement, making the start of the new episodes one of the most anticipated television events of early 2026.