Game of Thrones has officially been picked up by HBO for Seasons 5 and 6 mere days after the Season 4 premiere of the hit show brought down HBO Go.

'Game of Thrones' Picked Up For Seasons 5 And 6

HBO officially announced that the hit fantasy show Game of Thrones has been picked up for two more seasons on Tuesday, April 8.

Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss have said previously that they expect the series will be completed in seven seasons, so additional seasons could be on the horizon. The question is, how many characters will still be alive by the time season 7 comes around?

“Game of Thrones is a phenomenon like no other. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with their talented collaborators, continue to surpass themselves, and we look forward to more of their dazzling storytelling,” said HBO Programming President Michael Lombardo in a statement.

'Game of Thrones' Season 4 Premiere Crashed HBO Go

The news comes as no surprise. Game of Thrones is one of the most popular shows on television, and it’s fourth season premiere Sunday, April 6, brought in the biggest HBO audience since The Sopranos’ series finale aired in 2007. With 6.6 million viewers, season 4 of Game of Thrones is looking to be the biggest season yet; in comparison, season 3 premiered to 4.4 million viewers.

Not only did Game of Thrones attract a record breaking audience on air, the network’s streaming site, HBO Go, was bombarded with eager viewers and crashed mid-premiere, or, as the official HBO Go Twitter account put it, there was “trouble in the realm.”

Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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