Game of Thrones season 8

Game of Thrones season 8 release date, episodes, spoilers, filming and everything you need to know

Game of Thrones is an absolute pop-culture phenomenon, so it's hard – not to mention heart-breaking – trying to imagine the television landscape without it.

Nevertheless, we'll soon be faced with that cold, hard reality – the last ever season of HBO's fantasy epic is coming. Feel unprepared? Here's everything you need to know about the end of the saga, from cast to plot spoilers to air dates.

Game of Thrones season 8 release date: When will it air?

It's looking like we could be in for another long wait, with rumblings that the eighth and final season might be delayed until 2019 seemingly later confirmed by Sansa actress Sophie Turner.

"[David Benioff and Dan Weiss, showrunners] have to write the episodes and figure out the production schedule," HBO President Casey Bloys said. "We'll have a better sense of that once they get further into the writing."

"We honestly don't know yet [when the final episodes will air]," Benioff admitted. "There's been a lot of back and forth about air dates. That's a long way off from being settled."

Bloys later acknowledged that Benioff and Weiss's vision for their grand finale is far more "complicated" than prior years.