House of the Dragon season 3 is here, and it's set to give HBO another can't-miss installment of the Game of Thrones franchise for the next few months. Leading up to the show's long-awaited return, House of the Dragon season 3's Rotten Tomatoes score is sitting at a record high, coming in at 97% from critics.
ScreenRant's review of House of the Dragon called season 3 a "whole new side of Game of Thrones" after highlighting that the first half of the season "delivered non-stop momentum." The season, of course, will dive deeper into the Dance of the Dragons, featuring several notable moments during the Targaryen civil war, like the Battle of the Gullet, which kicks off the new season.
For those familiar with George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood novel, there's plenty to look forward to with the live-action adaptation from here on out. On the other hand, anyone watching that isn't up to date with House Targaryen's history should gear up for an action-packed and emotional ride this season.
After nearly two years, House of the Dragon is finally back with a brand-new season set to begin the second half of GRRM's Fire & Blood adaptation. House of the Dragon season 3 officially debuts Sunday, June 21, taking over the notable 9 p.m. ET timeslot.
Like the case in 2024 with season 2, the Game of Thrones prequel will serve as the prestigious summer release for the network, running through early August. House of the Dragon's return also gives HBO two big Game of Thrones releases in 2026, following A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' debut earlier this year.
Whereas House of the Dragon season 1 consisted of ten total episodes, season 2 only had eight. The same will be the case with season 3, debuting on June 21 with the finale planned for August 9, 2026. Here's a look at the full House of the Dragon season 3 episode schedule:
Release Date (at 9 p.m. on HBO & HBO Max)
Ahead of House of the Dragon's return, HBO's official website confirmed that the season 3 premiere will be 72 minutes long. Though House of the Dragon season 3's premiere runtime isn't the longest in the show's history, as that belongs to the season 2 finale (84 minutes), it is the longest season premiere for the show thus far.
HBO's programming schedule also lists season 3's second episode at 68 minutes, teasing another massive episode. Beyond that, the exact runtimes for House of the Dragon season 3 have not been confirmed. What has been confirmed is House of the Dragon season 4, which will mark the show's final season.
