HBO Is Pushing the Final Season of Game of Thrones Into 2019

Last month, HBO showed off a sneak peek of what to expect from their library in 2018. But shockingly enough, Game of Thrones was missing from that line-up. A few brief glimpses of characters were shown, but no official announcement of the next season.

On Thursday, HBO announced that season eight of Game of Thrones would debut in 2019. No specific month or general window was given, but they did confirm it to have six episodes and listed the staff of writers and directors, which includes longtime contributors David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. No mention of a plot was made.

This will be Game of Throne’s first full year off since it began in 2011. With the rumors of many Game of Thrones spin-offs, it’s possible that something of the sort is being worked on, but no official announcements have been made on the subject.

Another reason for the delay may actually have to do with the release of George R.R. Martin’s novel The Winds of Winter. This may allow the books to catch up with the series. Although, since the show has diverged from the novels in later seasons, this may be less likely.

While the release of the last season and plot has remained unknown, HBO has hinted at the scale of the episodes being massive and epic in terms of action and events. The very well-received season seven will likely have a contender in terms of excitement.