HBO reveals start date for Game of Thrones‘ final season

Shortly after that discovery, frost overtakes the chambers, and the trio unsheathes its weapons to face an impending, icy threat, before the scene fades to black.

Should the season stick to a once-a-week schedule, its six-episode run could theoretically conclude on May 19, but that remains to be seen, as HBO has otherwise not announced the final season’s exact schedule just yet. But, just to be safe, clear your calendar—and prepare for an epic finale that reportedly took a whopping 55 days and nights to film in three separate locations.

For more on what fans should expect from this final season, Ars’ Jennifer Ouellette has this spoiler-loaded refresher for you, so that you may begin placing your bets on the survival odds of the kingdom of men. And, as a reminder, “final” is a relative term. HBO has already begun moving full steam ahead on casting for the series’ prequel TV series.