'Steven Universe' season 3 news, spoilers: 'Summer of Steven' begins July 18

The long wait is almost over.

Cartoon Network has announced that the much-anticipated third season of its Emmy-nominated animated series "Steven Universe" will begin airing on Monday, July 18.

"Steven Universe" season 3 will run from July to August in an event that is being called the "Summer of Steven." The new season follows the limited event dubbed "In Too Deep," a six-episode run that began airing in May.

"In Too Deep" was originally scheduled as a "bomb," a scheduling tactic employed by many of the network's shows in which a new episode is dropped every weekday for a week or two.

The long-awaited season 3 premiere date announcement has been a welcome relief for fans, many of whom have been baffled by the animated show's bizarre schedule. Since its debut in 2013, "Steven Universe" has either dropped a new episode a week or aired multiple episodes over the course of a week. The show has also been marked by huge gaps between seasons and an unpredictable, impermanent schedule.

But all of that may soon change, as Cartoon Network has been insinuating in its new "Steven Universe" promos that the show's return will follow a more conventional schedule.

This was confirmed by "Steven Universe" writer Matt Burnett on Monday, July 4, in a Twitter post. According to Burnett, "Steven Universe" season 3 won't just be on air for a week. To the delight of fans all over, the "Steven Universe" scribe said that the third season will be on air for "over a month."

"The promos are out there — Steven Universe is airing new episodes almost every weeknight for over a month — all of Season 3 is coming!" he wrote.

While neither Cartoon Network nor "Steven Universe" creator Rebecca Sugar has revealed any major details about the season 3 plot, it appears that viewers will learn more about the Crystal Gems' history in the upcoming season.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sugar said, "I don't want to give any spoilers, but there will be a lot more about Gem history and Gems in the present and how they feel about what's going on, on earth."

"Steven Universe" season 3 kicks off Monday, July 18, at 7 p.m. ET on Cartoon Network.