The Targaryen civil war will continue. On Thursday, HBO announced the renewal of House of the Dragon for season 3. The news comes days before Sunday’s season 2 premiere.

House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin’s novel Fire & Blood. Set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series chronicles House Targaryen and the war of succession that will lead to its decline. Martin and Ryan Condal co-created the series for HBO.

“George, Ryan, and the rest of our incredible executive producers, cast, and crew, have reached new heights with the phenomenal second season of House of the Dragon,” Francesca Orsi, executive vice president, HBO programming, head of HBO drama series and films, said in a press release. “We are in awe of the dragon-sized effort the entire team has put into the creation of a spectacular season two, with a scope and scale that is only rivaled by its heart. We could not be more thrilled to continue the story of House Targaryen and watch this team burn bright again for season three.”

Like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon boasts a large ensemble. Season 2’s returning cast includes Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel, Matthew Needham, Harry Collett, Tom Glynn-Carney, Ewan Mitchell, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, and Jefferson Hall.

Season 2’s newcomers are Abubakar Salim, Gayle Rankin, Freddie Fox, Simon Russell Beale, Clinton Liberty, Jamie Kenna, Kieran Bew, Tom Bennett, Tom Taylor, and Vincent Regan.

The renewal of season 3 is not a surprise, considering House of the Dragon’s critical success and high viewership. In August 2022, House of the Dragon’s premiere drew the largest audience for any new original series in HBO history. In a December 2023 blog post, Martin teased that the House of the Dragon creative team was working on seasons 3 and 4.

House of the Dragon season 3 premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday, June 16. It will air on HBO and stream on Max.