Disappointing News For ‘Game Of Thrones’ Spinoff ‘A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Release Date

The buzz around Game Of Thrones largely fizzled with the release of its eighth and final season, which many fans justifiably disliked thanks to its rushed and messy conclusion.

House Of The Dragon helped revive some interest, but the show’s drearier tone and slow pacing failed to capture the same magic of the original, and a disappointing second season left many feeling baffled and frustrated with the lack of momentum and changes from the source material. Even George R.R. Martin, the author of the books these shows are based off of, expressed his discontent with the second season, echoing and amplifying complaints from critics and fans.

Despite all of this, and despite the long wait between Martin’s novels (few of us actually believe The Winds Of Winter will ever actually see publication) one of my most highly-anticipated upcoming series is yet another set in the magical land of Westeros.

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms takes place between the other two shows, roughly a century before the events of Game Of Thrones. It’s based on Martin’s Hedge Knight novellas, which are in some ways my favorites of his books. They’re shorter, less meandering, and more focused. Knight errantry, jousting, dubious heroics all make up these stories, as opposed to the sprawling epic fantasy of the main novels.

The official logline for the show reads:

“A century before the events of ‘Game of Thrones,’ two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros… a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.”

So it’s a bit disappointing to learn that the 2025 release window for the upcoming HBO series has been pushed back to 2026. Thankfully, according to HBO chief Casey Bloys, it will be winter of 2026, so the delay is not egregious. As always, I temper my disappointment knowing that delays like this happen for a reason. I’d rather have a show release a bit later than in rough shape.

Better news is that Martin has enthusiastically endorsed this adaptation, a marked contrast with his House Of The Dragon comments. “It’s as faithful as adaptation as a reasonable man could hope for (and you all know how incredibly reasonable I am on that particular subject),” he wrote on his blog, rather cheekily.

News of the delay came via a “first look” at A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms shown to advertisers in New York City. Hopefully we get a full trailer for the upcoming fantasy series soon. No premiere date has been set for either this or the third season of House Of The Dragon. Several other Game Of Thrones spinoffs are in the works, though details remain scarce.