Published 3 hours ago

A fateful year looms for Westeros, will it rise or fall?

2026 is a make or break year for Game of Thrones

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

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A new HBO Max sizzle has declared 2026 the “biggest year ever,” as it showcases footage for about 17 new titles hitting the service next year. Among them are two Game of Thrones-related shows: House of the Dragon season 3 and the premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a new 6-episode show following the journey of naive knight Ser Duncan “Dunk” The Tall (Peter Claffey) and his squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).

With HBO confirming GOT-related content until 2028, this year is, by extension, also a big deal for the George R.R. Martin-created franchise. Despite House of the Dragon adapting the juiciest bits from Fire & Blood, hype isn’t what it used to be in the years prior, and with Martin’s Winds of Winter novel still nowhere to be found, coupled with the stiff competition of shows on the streamer, the brand may just be diminishing.

Photo: Steffan Hill/HBO

In the promotional video, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) says, “Rhaenyra will do what she has to do. And what she has to do is dire,” as the visuals showcase Hightower comforting her son Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), a battle commencing in a coliseum, and a skull in a fireplace. Showrunner Ryan Condal says season 3 is going to be “goddamn massive,” diving headfirst into the Targaryen family civil war teased at the end of season 2. The chaos is expected to ignite with Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and her dragon riders storming King’s Landing to confront Aemond — the prince who almost killed his own brother just to seize the Iron Throne.

The footage also showcases a slew of other hyped shows hitting HBO Max as well, such as The Pitt,* Euphoria*,* Lanterns*,* Dune: Prophecy, Hacks*,* *an untitled Larry David project, and more. With all these big titles hitting the service in 2026, can Westeros stand out among all these rival houses?