George R.R. Martin, creator of the Game of Thrones universe, has published on his personal blog that he suffers from depression. The author has returned to writing on his website after months of absence to explain his mental health problems. “It's been a very stressful year, so many things have happened that it's been overwhelming,” the writer begins. “Some exciting, but also nightmares. I've lost friends along the way. I've had to battle depression and, perhaps, the worst is yet to come,” the author explains.

The universe of Game of Thrones continues its expansion with a new season of the franchise's most successful spin-off, House of the Dragon. The wait between the first and second season was two years and the series team is repeating the strategy. Fans have had to test their patience for two more years. Finally, on June 22, HBO will release the first of eight new episodes, which will be an hour long. HBO maintains the broadcast plan and the number of episodes per season —the first had 10—, and will release them weekly, every Monday, to offer the season's final episode on August 10. The platform has also announced that it will conclude the series with a fourth season which, following the series' timeline, is expected to premiere around 2028, and will conclude the Targaryen era.