How Long Do We Have To Wait for ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3?

House of the Dragon wrapped its second season with quite the cliffhanger, making the clamor for season 3 even louder. While HotD is indeed getting a third season, the release date is still up in the air.

At the time of writing, there is no official release date for House of the Dragon season 3. However, looking at the prior season offers a rough estimate. The infamous two-year wait between seasons 1 and 2 (which went largely unaffected by writers’ and actors’ strikes) suggests we’ve got another another two years before season 3 premieres on HBO. With previous seasons both airing in the summer (August and June, respectively), you can expect a return to the Tagaryan civil war in the summer of 2026, especially since filming for the third season hasn’t started yet.

What will season 3 of HotD be about?

The final episode of season 2 has been divisive among fans. Yes, we got a decent moment between Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), but the episode itself lacked that big, satisfying climax expected of finales. Many have described it as a trailer for season 3 rather than the conclusion of season 2—and, in all fairness, it’s hard to disagree with that sentiment.

That said, it also gives us a clear idea of where season 3 is going. Season 2’s closing shots foreshadow what George R. R. Martin dubbed The Battle of the Gullet in Fire & Blood, which leads to a pretty major character death. Luckily, we should also get the introduction of a new character: Daeron Targaryen. Alicent teased the importance of her estranged son earlier in season 2, proving he hadn’t been written out of the series like some HotD fans had theorized. Without delving into spoiler territory, we can at least look forward to season 3 jumping right into the action.

This was already expected since season 2 was cut from ten episodes to eight. As reported by Deadline, the trim was story-driven and accounted for a major battle to take place during early season 3. While this left season 2 feeling a bit lacking, it could be a blessing in disguise that gives The Battle of the Gullet the screentime and attention it deserves.

In the meantime, fans can get their House of the Dragon fix with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The Game of Thrones spinoff follows Dunk (Peter Claffey), a squire turned kind-of-knight. Hailing from Martin’s series of Dunk and Egg novellas, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms releases on HBO in 2025.