House of the Dragon is one of 2024’s most highly anticipated TV returns, and its release on HBO and streaming grows nearer. House of the Dragon’s season 1 ending teased a bit of what’s to come as first blood was drawn, making war inevitable in Westeros. The first season saw the build-up toward the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, and now the stage is set for opposing factions led by Rhaenyra Targaryen and Aegon II Targaryen to fight for control of the Iron Throne.

House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and now, the prequel promises to match the original show’s claim to fame with massive action set pieces and battles. Of course, political intrigue and intense family drama will continue to play a role in the sophomore season, as House of the Dragon’s cast of characters has been split into the Black and Green factions, with season 2 prompting audiences to choose their team.

House Of The Dragon Season 2, Episode 1 Releases At 9 PM ET On HBO & Max

House Of The Dragon Releases One Episode At A Time

As is typical with HBO Sunday shows, House of the Dragon season 2’s episodes will air at 9 PM ET on the HBO network, as well as the Max streaming service. As for Sunday, June 16, only episode 1 will be released, as HBO releases their series on a weekly basis. For other time zones, new episodes are released accordingly, at 6 PM PT and 2 AM BST. This has been the consistent time slot for House of the Dragon and its parent show, Game of Thrones.

How Many Episodes House Of The Dragon Season 2 Has

HOTD Season 2 Has A Reduced Episode Count But With Some Longer Episodes

Image via HBO

Compared to House of the Dragon season 1 and the typical Game of Thrones season length, season 2 is shortened to eight episodes. Showrunner Ryan Condal decided the reduced episode count would be beneficial to the story’s pacing, which makes sense given the nature of the source material. The book Fire & Blood is a “fictional history” text, with much of the narrative being condensed with a focus on major events, leaving House of the Dragon’s writers to interpret and develop individual character arcs accordingly.

House of the Dragon Season 2 Episodes
Release Date

Season 2, Episode 1
June 16, 2024

Season 2, Episode 2
June 23, 2024

Season 2, Episode 3
June 30, 2024

Season 2, Episode 4
July 7, 2024

Season 2, Episode 5
July 14, 2024

Season 2, Episode 6

July 21, 2024

Season 2, Episode 7
July 28, 2024

Season 2, Episode 8
August 4, 2024

The reduced episode count also allows the season to bring the war to life in a cinematic fashion, as certain episodes stretch out longer than an hour. With one episode released weekly, House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale will be released on August 4, 2024. It’s a standard schedule for House of the Dragon or most HBO shows, with the most notable aspect being the reduced episode count.