House of the Dragon has been a victim of an online leak ahead of its season finale, which is set to officially premiere on August 4. The leak was spread on TikTok and subsequently on X/Twitter and Reddit. It consists of several clips from the episode that will conclude the Game of Thrones spin-off's second season. These clips add up to 30 minutes of footage from the last episode, and though all the accounts spreading the leak have been banned, more than 100,000 viewers were able to see it.
The previous season also saw its last episode leak days prior to its release, and it does raise questions over HBO's security for the same thing to have happened again. According to Variety, network execs released a statement about the leak:
"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."
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Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra's father, King Viserys Targaryen.
Release Date August 21, 2021 Main Genre Fantasy Cast Paddy Considine , Olivia Cooke , Rhys Ifans , Matt Smith , Eve Best , Steve Toussaint Seasons 2 Studio 1:26 Pictures, Home Box Office (HBO) Franchise Game of Thrones Network HBO Max Streaming Service(s) HBO Max Franchise(s) Game of Thrones Directors Miguel Sapochnik , Clare Kilner , Alan Taylor , Greg Yaitanes , Geeta Vasant Patel , Andrij Parekh Showrunner George R.R. Martin Expand
The 2022 leak was also attributed to an international distributor, although it is unclear whether the fault lies with the same one. Game of Thrones, the first series taking place in George R. R. Martin's universe, also suffered multiple leaks, forcing HBO to stop sharing screeners with the press, but it seems the problem still persists, just from a different source. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the current leaks seem to be phone recorded footage of the episode being played on another device.
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House of the Dragon Season 2 Ends Next Sunday and There Will Be Blood Close
Fans have been awaiting the season finale of House of the Dragon with baited - often fiery - breath. Rhaenyra has found more dragon riders, which raises her odds in a final battle. Daemon, while inexplicably still in Harrenhal, seems to be prepared to fight against anyone who dares step in his way. And Aemond, the new king, so to speak, looked a bit afraid when he was unable to control Vhagar during the last episode. And Alicent? She decided to bathe in a river while Aegon keeps suffering from his wounds.
While the latest leak is still out there - as these things usually are, no matter how many accounts are banned to quell the flood - the vast majority of fans will be happy to wait a few more days to see the full episode, in a format that doesn't scream piracy. From what the season has delivered in its last few episodes, it seems that what transpires will be worth the wait.
Related House of the Dragon Star Addresses Her Character's Fall Into Religious Fanaticism
The actor called Rhaenyra's latest actions "a massacre".
House of the Dragon 's previous episodes are available to stream on Max.
