Game of Thrones ending confirmed

As expected, flagship HBO drama Game of Thrones will end after its eighth season.

Showrunner David Benioff and D.B. Weiss had previously indicated the story would wrap after eight seasons, though US premium cabler HBO had hoped to extend the run to ten.

HBO’s recently appointed president of programming Casey Bloys has now confirmed Benioff and Weiss’ plan, but intimated Time Warner-owned HBO is looking at a spin-off series set in the same universe.

BuzzFeed reported a HBO spokesman as saying Game of Thrones had not been officially cancelled, but Bloys’ words at the HBO’s TCA presentation means it is increasingly unlikely the fantasy drama will go to a ninth season.

The upcoming seasons will be shorter than the usual ten, with 13 episodes planned across the two runs, meanwhile, as previously confirmed.

Game of Thrones is by far the highest-rating HBO drama of all time, and consistently tops the rankings in TBI and Parrot Analytics’ In-demand charts. The show, based on George R. R. Martin’s book series, follows noble families of the fictional continent of Westeros, as they vie for control of the Iron Throne.

The series comes from HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Startling Television; and Television 360.