Several House of the Dragon season 2 finale clips have leaked across Twitter and TikTok ahead of its official airing, with roughly 30 minutes of footage making its way across social media. The second season, adapting the downfall of the Targaryen royal dynasty from George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones franchise, has seen its Black and Green factions scramble to gather allies for the coming war. The penultimate episode set the stage for the conflict, as Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) gathered her dragonriders and Alicent (Emma Cooke) got away from the storm.
With Rhaenyra ready to ride to war after House of the Dragon season 2 episode 7, Variety has confirmed that moments from the season’s upcoming climax have already found their way online. While not the full episode, it has been reported that the leaks can be traced back to a now-banned TikTok account that had uploaded 14 videos consisting of 30 minutes of the episode’s runtime. However, the footage and discussions surrounding what was depicted has since spread onto Twitter and Reddit, leaving those wanting to go into the finale blind at risk. Warner Bros. Discover issued the following statement addressing the leaks:
“We are aware that clips from the House of the Dragon season finale have surfaced across social media platforms. The clips were posted after an unintentional release from an international third-party distributor. HBO is aggressively monitoring and removing clips from the internet, and fans can watch the episode in its entirety this Sunday night on HBO and Max.”
House Of The Dragon’s Latest Leaks Continue A Franchise Trouble
Game of Thrones has a history of high-profile leaks.
The Game of Thrones franchise already had a troubled history with elements leaking out into the hands of the public long before they were meant to be seen. The original series was plagued by various leaks due to international partners letting clips slip, but the majority of Game of Thrones season 8’s controversial story leaked online ahead of release in 2019, leaving dedicated fans nervous for what was to come. Similarly, House of the Dragon season 1’s finale also saw leaks through HBO’s international distributors, though even stories viewers ultimately weren’t meant to see were made public.
Even stories viewers ultimately weren’t meant to see were made public.
Announced in 2018, Bloodmoon was set to explore the origins of some of Westeros’ most mysterious forces, from the early days of House Stark, the White Walkers, and the terrifying Long Night. A pilot episode had been produced that featured an all-star cast including Naomi Watts, Star Wars’ Naomi Ackie and Denise Gough, Stranger Things’ Jamie Campbell Bower, Doctor Who’s John Simm, and Good Omens’ Miranda Richardson. While the pilot wrapped in 2019, it was canceled ahead of House of the Dragon entering development, though footage of the pilot leaked online in 2024.
As seen above, leaks are not an unfamiliar problem for the Game of Thrones franchise. While these situations may be hard to predict or control, many may have hoped that HBO would have a better handling on leaks at this point. As such, fans wanting to see House of the Dragon season 2’s finale unfold in its entirety on August 4 with no spoilers will have to tread carefully online.