In 2026, HBO will release more content in the Game of Thrones franchise than ever before, in the form of 14 episodes across 2 spinoffs.
Unlike other television franchises like The Walking Dead, HBO has always taken a cautious approach in regard to building out the Game of Thrones Universe. No major risks have been taken (such as the studio pushing aside development of a Jon Snow sequel), with a focus being made on adapting material that already exists.
Prequel spinoff House of the Dragon has been a standout success. Based on the Fire & Blood novel of George R.R. Martin, the series goes into its third season in summer 2026. But before that, we’ll first see an all-new spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which tells a very different style of story. Rather than a large-scale, multi-perspective epic, the spinoff focuses mainly on its two central characters: Hedge Knight Ser Duncan (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).
To reflect the new approach, the creative team are making moves to ensure fans feel its instant differentiation. For instance, the colour scheme is notably brighter, and the iconic Game of Thrones-style opening sequence is no longer.
One thing that stands out about the Game of Thrones Universe in 2026, however, is the gluttony of content. HBO will release more episodes in the franchise than ever before. Between House of the Dragon season 3 and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, there’s a total of 14 episodes. Prior to 2026, the most episodes that the franchise had ever released in a calendar year was 10, back in the early seasons of Game of Thrones.
This is undoubtedly a showing of ambition from HBO. Will it pay off? Only time will tell, but given that the series is adapting beloved source material, there’s plenty of room for positivity.
Read the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms graphic novels!
While we’ve got your attention, allow us to rhapsodise about the A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms graphic novels. We could implore you to read the novel, which you definitely should. But as we’re a site that celebrates the comicsmedium, I can’t recommend Ben Avery and Mike S. Miller’s full-colour graphic novel adaptations of the saga enough.
The comics are a magnificent adaptation of the original work. Avery keeps it faithful to the source material, while Mike D. Miller’s art adds a while new perspective to the story. It helps visualise what the TV show will end up looking like. Whether you’re suffering from Game of Thrones withdrawal and want a visual story to read now, or you want to get ahead of the curve before the upcoming TV adaptation, these are the perfect books for you!
The first graphic novel, The Hedge Knight, is available for purchase here on Amazon. Its sequel, The Sworn Sword, can be purchased here. And finally, The Mystery Knight — my personal favourite of the trilogy — can be purchased here.
