- The first trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been released
- It introduces us to Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire ‘Egg’
- HBO also confirmed the official release date for its next Game of Thrones prequel series
Saddle up for a return to Westeros, Game of Thrones fans, because A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ official release date has been revealed.
Announced at New York Comic-Con (NYCC) 2025, HBO’s next Game of Thrones (GoT) TV adaptation will premiere on January 18, 2026. The confirmation came at the end of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ (AKotSK) first trailer, which was also unveiled at this year’s event.
We were already aware that the forthcoming show would debut early next year. Indeed, AKotSK‘s HBO Max release window was revealed earlier this week, with the high fantasy series confirmed to air in January 2026. Nonetheless, it’s good to learn exactly when it’ll make its bow on HBO Max. Hopefully, it’ll launch worldwide on that date, so those of us who don’t live in the US can stream it alongside our stateside counterparts.
It’s equally satisfying to see some actual footage of Thrones‘ latest prequel.
Until now, we’d only seen the briefest shot in an HBO Max sizzle reel that was released in August 2024. A 10-second clip was also posted on GoT‘s social media channels yesterday (October 8) but, understandably, that did little to assuage fans – myself included – who’ve wanted a proper look at AKotSK. HBO can now consider us fully appeased for the time being.
Spring is coming! GRRM, Ira Parker, Peter Claffey (Dunk) & Dexter Sol Ansell (Egg) arrive on the Empire stage for the #AKOTSK panel at #NYCC. pic.twitter.com/OO0wJ6cYp5October 9, 2025
As for what the trailer shows, it confirms that the series’ first season will adapt ‘The Hedge Knight’, aka the first installment in George R.R. Martin’s ‘Dunk and Egg’ book trilogy.
In that novel, which takes place 90 years before GoT, we follow Ser Duncan ‘Dunk’ the Tall, who enters a tournament at Ashford Meadow in order to follow in the footsteps of his late master Ser Arlan. There, he crosses paths with Aegon ‘Egg’ Targaryen, who persuades ‘Dunk’ to let him be his squire. Thus begins a journey that’ll change the pair forever.
An intimate, character-driven narrative, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms looks like it’ll be funnier and less grandiose, than Thrones and House of the Dragon. That’s not to say it won’t be as dramatic or action-heavy as its forebears and, with a pair of lovable underdogs at the center of its story, I suspect it won’t take long for Thrones diehards and newcomers alike to root for ‘Dunk’ and ‘Egg’ on one of the world’s best streaming services.
For more on the HBO TV Original before it drops, check out our dedicated guide on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
