The highly-anticipated seventh season of Game of Thrones will officially return on July 16.
Following a year-long hiatus, the world of Westeros will return for its penultimate season—a shortened seven-episode installment that will continue the stories of Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen and the rest of the realm’s remaining players.
HBO made the announcement on Facebook Live Thursday after previously stating that the premiere had been pushed back from spring to summer due to a scenery related filming delay. “Now that winter has arrived on Game of Thrones, executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss felt that the storylines of the next season would be better served by starting production a little later than usual, when the weather is changing,” explained programming president Casey Bloys.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Your Vote Is Safe
- The Best Inventions of 2024
- How the Electoral College Actually Works
- Robert Zemeckis Just Wants to Move You
- Column: Fear and Hoping in Ohio
- How to Break 8 Toxic Communication Habits
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com