House of the Dragon season 2 release schedule: When do new episodes come out?

Almost two years have passed since House of the Dragon made an explosive impact on television screens all around the world. The much-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel series arrived with all of the grandeur that its predecessor was known for, becoming one of the only examples of watercooler TV still around in the days of streaming.

It made the most of its ten episodes, enthralling fans of the George R.R. Martin franchise and quickly proving that there were still stories to be told revolving around the Iron Throne. This particular story chose to spotlight the Targaryens, as King Viserys longed for a successor. He was hoping for a male heir but it was his daughter Rhaenyra that stepped up to wear the crown, spawning a saga that spanned many years of her life (which were brought to life exquisitely by both Milly Alcock and Emma D'Arcy).

If you're ready to dive back into the saga with its all-new next chapter, you should know when and where you can check each and every episode out.

When new episodes of House of the Dragon season 2 come out

The second season of House of the Dragon will air new episodes on HBO and streaming service Max on Sundays throughout the summer, with each one airing 9:00 p.m. ET for those watching on the East Coast and 6:00 p.m. PT for those watching on the West Coast. Fans on Mountain Time can view it at 7:00 p.m. MT, and those with Central Time can watch at 8:00 p.m. CT.

Taking that into account, here is when each episode comes out throughout the season.

• Episode 1 "A Son For A Son" - Sunday, June 16 at 09:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
• Episode 2 - Sunday, June 23 at 09:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
• Episode 3 - Sunday, June 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
• Episode 4 - Sunday, July 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
• Episode 5 - Sunday, July 14 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
• Episode 6 - Sunday, July 21 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
• Episode 7 - Sunday, July 28 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
• Episode 8 (season finale) - Sunday, August 4 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT

How many episodes will House of the Dragon season 2 have?

As you have probably deduced from the episode release schedule, House of the Dragon season 2 will have eight episodes. That makes it a bit shorter than its first season (which had ten) and makes it one of the shorter seasons in the Game of Thrones shared universe. Only Game of Thrones seasons 7 and 8 had less episodes than that, making it the third-shortest season in the GoT franchise.

Showrunner Sara Hess explained the decision to shorten the episode count to Tech Radar, suggesting that "it wasn't really [their] choice" as a number of factors went into making it, particularly what they needed to get the narrative to where it needed to be.

"...there was a bit of a rebalancing of the narrative that was necessary to happen. This eight-episode cadence helped us to find that."

It's good to know that the decision was based on what the show needed as the shorter episodes will likely benefit the storyline long-term. The Game of Thrones creatives were criticized for opting for lesser episodes in the final season, which has since gone down in history as one of the most reviled final seasons in TV history, with fans divided over the direction the storyline took, particularly because the lack of episodes made it all feel a bit unbelievable and rushed - a sad way for a show known for its intricate plotting to bow out.

But House of the Dragon fans won't have to worry about the show rushing towards its conclusion as it has been renewed for a third season. The announcement was made just days before the season 2 premiere, which speaks volumes in terms of how much HBO is still invested in the juggernaut franchise.