HBO boss says House of the Dragon will end with season 4 but "doesn't know" if it will be an extra-long final season

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HBO boss says House of the Dragon will end with season 4 but "doesn't know" if it will be an extra-long final season News By Bradley Russell published 2 February 2026

War is (almost) over

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HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloys has revealed what many had long suspected – House of the Dragon is set to end with its fourth season.

Speaking to Deadline, Bloys was asked about showrunner Ryan Condal's expectation that the fantasy series, which follows the Targaryen civil war some 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, would come to a close with season 4.

Bloys replied, "Yes, that is the idea. The idea has always been to follow the history of the Targaryens. If you know the books, you know how the Targaryens end up. So there is a natural end to this particular history of that House of the Targaryens."

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Despite the seeming certainty over the HBO show's future, the fourth season's episode count is decidedly less concrete.

"Ryan is working, like any show, like this: he is finishing post on season 3 and working with the writers on what season 4 looks like. I don’t know where he’s landed on the episode count yet," Bloys said.

The third season of House of the Dragon is set to premiere later this year, but much of the recent conversation surrounding the show has been about George R.R. Martin's (increasingly publicized) feud with showrunner Ryan Condal.

After criticizing House of the Dragon season 2 on his personal blog, Martin followed up on the creative breakdown in a later interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

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"I would give notes, and nothing would happen," Martin explained. "Sometimes he would explain why he wasn't doing it. Other times, he would tell me, 'Oh, OK, yeah, I'll think about that.' It got worse and worse, and I began to get more and more annoyed. Finally, it got to a point where I was told by HBO that I should submit all my notes to them and they would give Ryan our combined notes."

In a Zoom call with HBO, Martin reportedly declared, "This is not my story any longer."

For more, check out our guide on new TV shows, plus all the latest on A Knight of the Seven Kingdom's release schedule.

CATEGORIES HBO Streaming Services Bradley RussellSocial Links Navigation

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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Logout Read more The future of Westeros looks bright as House of the Dragon season 4 and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 get confirmed by HBO    George R.R. Martin says his relationship with House of the Dragon showrunner is "abysmal"    House of the Dragon season 3 release date speculation, cast, plot, and more news    George R.R. Martin says his A Song of Ice and Fire ending won't be as "happy" as the HBO show's    Upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV spin-offs in 2026 and beyond    "Most" of the Game of Thrones spin-offs in the works are prequels, but creator George R.R. Martin confirms "some" sequels are still in development    Latest in Fantasy Shows A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner says he made "peace" with the huge episode 3 twist being an open secret    The Batman 2 writer teases two notebooks full of material for his Game of Thrones spin-off Aegon's Conquest    Skyrim lead says Game of Thrones author should say HBO "finished my work and now I want to do something new"    God of War show goes full Ragnarok as it casts Odin and Thor    That ominous A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 3 prophecy actually ties into the George R.R. Martin book lore    Apple may have the next Game of Thrones on its hands with an adaptation of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere universe    Latest in News HBO boss says House of the Dragon will end with season 4 but "doesn't know" if it will be an extra-long final season    Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity dev says Morrowind with a modern combat system "would sell like f***ing hot cakes"    HBO boss says It: Welcome to Derry season 2 is "not in limbo at all" and he would be "happy to do it"    Jujutsu Kaisen manga casually reveals a fan-favorite character lives in the sequel after all    Nintendo does what '90s Nintendo could only dream of – sell out of the Virtual Boy    Avengers: Doomsday directors may have revealed too much after deleting a video showcasing the biggest fan theories    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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