The launch of BioShock's beleaguered movie adaptation may now be accompanied by other BioShock projects — including the long-awaited next BioShock game.

Talking to Collider, BioShock movie producer Roy Lee confirmed that while the project's director Francis Lawrence is still tied up in post-production on The Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping, the adaptation of 2K's blockbuster BioShock remains "next on the docket."

"We would have gotten it made a few years back, but then other movies got in the way, with one being The Long Walk and the other being The Hunger Games prequel, which comes out this December," Lee explained, before hinting that the film's eventual release may prove to be part of a wider BioShock push.

"We're just waiting for [Lawrence] to finish post-production, because he's going to be working on it through at least September, and then jump back into it," Lee continued. "I know that Netflix and Take-Two are very anxious to see the movie come out because they want to have the release coincide with some of the potential new incarnations of the game."

That latter sentence is particularly exciting, as it teases that publisher Take-Two is keen to see the film debut around the same time as a new BioShock game (or two). Exactly what is meant by "incarnations" remains to be seen, though.

When pressed for timescales, Lee cautiously said: "It's steadily on the path, but you know how it goes. It's... so many things could get in the way, but I know that the intent is to hopefully get in production next year."

Netflix announced plans for a BioShock adaptation back in 2022, though the project has stalled due to budget cuts impacting the scope of the movie and its script. Prior to that, Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski was working on his own adaptation, though that ultimately came to nothing.

In September 2025, producer Roy Lee confirmed the project is still in active development, with director Francis Lawrence on board to direct.

"It's a tricky adaptation, so there's lots of things to figure out and to get right," Lawrence told IGN at the time. "There's regime changes at Netflix, and so things stall out and get re-energized and stall out and get re-energized, and I think we're in a pretty good place, honestly."

As for the long-awaited BioShock 4? After layoffs and a further delay to the project's release, former Gears of War head and Diablo franchise lead Rod Fergusson will now oversee Cloud Chamber and the project itself, which has been in development for the last decade.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

PlayStation’s Direct store is holding a huge sale on PS5 games, accessories, and more, helping you fill out the gaps in your collection, and one of the big beneficiaries of this is Kratos himself.

God of War’s latest mainline entry, God of War Ragnarok, has been discounted by a whopping 71% at PlayStation Direct, dropping to just $19.99, while Best Buy is matching the price as well.

A familiar but unannounced name has popped up in a theater chain's description of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

UK-based luxury cinema chain Everyman has posted a new description of the movie leaves no room for ambiguity: "After defeating Bowser and saving Brooklyn, Mario faces Wario and Bowser Jr.'s evil alliance. Now, alongside his friends and Yoshi, he must stop their plans for world domination." Yes, Wario.

Previously, Jack Black had called for The Last of Us and Mandalorian actor Pedro Pascal to star as Mario's nemesis, but it remains to be seen if Black's (or mine, if I'm honest) wish have been granted.

Nintendo and Illumination are teaming up again for a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. With directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic back at the helm, the highly anticipated sequel is set to debut on April 1, meaning there's now just over a month left to go.

Along with Mario and Luigi, the upcoming animated sequel will also see Bowser Jr, Yoshi, Birdo, a T-Rex, and Rosalina joining the chaos, the latter of which is voiced by Marvel star and Nintendo fan Brie Larson. All of the same major cast members are back from the first movie, too, including Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek.

In the meantime, you can see how a recently revealed toy set may have leaked the inclusion of another classic Nintendo character. You can also see why some fans believe the movie will revolve around time travel, and find out why some Nintendo fans believe a new trailer may be teasing a cameo from none other than Star Fox leader Fox McCloud.

The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment happens at the two-second mark and can be seen on the far-left side of the screen. If you pause, you’ll see what is believed to be a body wearing a green shirt, a white vest, and a very familiar blaster, leaving fans hoping that this unidentified figure is our first look at Fox in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Leonardo DiCaprio movie One Battle After Another was the big winner at the BAFTA Film Awards 2026, while Timothée Chalamet's Marty Supreme was left empty handed.

One Battle After Another walked away with Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, Best Supporting Actor for Sean Penn, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, and the night's biggest award for Best Film.

Marty Supreme, meanwhile, now holds the unfortunate record for the most losses in BAFTA history, with a surprise miss in the Leading Actor category for Timothée Chalamet. That gong ultimately went to I Swear's Robert Aramayo, who also won the Rising Star award — the night's sole prize voted for by the public.

Sinners won three accolades, for Supporting Actress (Wunmi Mosaku), Original Screenplay, and Original Score. Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein also won three, for Supporting Actor (Jacob Elordi), Costume Design and Production Design. The full list of winners lies below.

Best film

• Winner: One Battle After Another
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners

Outstanding British film

• Winner: Hamnet
• 28 Years Later
• The Ballad of Wallis Island
• Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy
• Die My Love
• H Is For Hawk
• I Swear
• Mr Burton
• Pillion
• Steve

Leading actress

• Winner: Jessie Buckley - Hamnet
• Rose Byrne - If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
• Kate Hudson - Song Sung Blue
• Chase Infiniti - One Battle After Another
• Renate Reinsve - Sentimental Value
• Emma Stone - Bugonia

Leading actor

• Winner: Robert Aramayo - I Swear
• Timothée Chalamet - Marty Supreme
• Leonardo DiCaprio - One Battle After Another
• Ethan Hawke - Blue Moon
• Michael B Jordan -Sinners
• Jesse Plemons - Bugonia

Supporting actress

• Winner: Wunmi Mosaku - Sinners
• Odessa A'zion - Marty Supreme
• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - Sentimental Value
• Carey Mulligan - The Ballad of Wallis Island
• Teyana Taylor - One Battle After Another
• Emily Watson - Hamnet

Supporting actor

• Winner: Sean Penn - One Battle After Another
• Benicio del Toro - One Battle After Another
• Jacob Elordi - Frankenstein
• Paul Mescal - Hamnet
• Peter Mullan - I Swear
• Stellan Skarsgård - Sentimental Value

Director

• Winner: One Battle After Another - Paul Thomas Anderson
• Bugonia - Yorgos Lanthimos
• Hamnet - Chloé Zhao
• Marty Supreme - Josh Safdie
• Sentimental Value - Joachim Trier
• Sinners - Ryan Coogler

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

• Winner: My Father's Shadow
• The Ceremony
• Pillion
• A Want In Her
• Wasteman

Film not in the English language

• Winner: Sentimental Value
• It Was Just An Accident
• The Secret Agent
• Sirât
• The Voice of Hind Rajab

Outstanding British contribution to cinema

Winner: Clare Binns, creative director of Picturehouse Cinemas and Picturehouse Entertainment

Documentary

• Winner: Mr Nobody Against Putin
• 2000 Meters to Andriivka
• Apocalypse in the Tropics
• Cover-Up
• The Perfect Neighbor

Animated film

• Winner: Zootropolis 2
• Elio
• Little Amélie

Children's and family film

• Winner: Boong
• Arco
• Lilo & Stitch
• Zootropolis 2

Original screenplay

• Winner: Sinners
• I Swear
• Marty Supreme
• The Secret Agent
• Sentimental Value

Adapted screenplay

• Winner: One Battle After Another
• The Ballad of Wallis Island
• Bugonia
• Hamnet
• Pillion

EE Bafta rising star award (voted for by the public)

• Winner: Robert Aramayo
• Miles Caton
• Chase Infiniti
• Archie Madekwe
• Posy Sterling

Original score

• Winner: Sinners - Ludwig Göransson
• Bugonia - Jerskin Fendrix
• Frankenstein - Alexandre Desplat
• Hamnet - Max Richter
• One Battle After Another - Jonny Greenwood

Casting

• Winner: I Swear
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sentimental Value
• Sinners

Cinematography

• Winner: One Battle After Another
• Frankenstein
• Marty Supreme
• Sinners
• Train Dreams

Costume design

• Winner: Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• Sinners
• Wicked: For Good

Editing

• Winner: One Battle After Another
• F1
• A House of Dynamite
• Marty Supreme
• Sinners

Production design

• Winner: Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners

Make-up and hair

• Winner: Frankenstein
• Hamnet
• Marty Supreme
• Sinners
• Wicked: For Good

Sound

• Winner: F1
• Frankenstein
• One Battle After Another
• Sinners
• Warfare

Special visual effects

• Winner: Avatar: Fire and Ash
• F1
• Frankenstein
• How to Train Your Dragon
• The Lost Bus

British short film

• Winner: This Is Endometriosis
• Magid / Zafar
• Nostalgie
• Terence
• Welcome Home Freckles

British short animation

• Winner: Two Black Boys in Paradise
• Cardboard
• Solstice

Image credit: Tristan Fewings/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Last week, Avatar director James Cameron slammed Netflix's plans to purchase Warner Bros., branding the deal as "disastrous" for theaters and the movie industry at large. Now, Avengers actor Mark Ruffalo has responded to ask if Cameron believed the alternative was any better — that Warner Bros. is instead gobbled up by Paramount.

Cameron aired his thoughts in a letter to Senator Mike Lee, who chairs the Senate's antitrust subcommittee, that was subsequently published online by CNBC. The Titanic maker's criticsm was blunt, stating that Netflix's acquisition would mean: "Theaters will close. Fewer films will be made. The job losses will spiral."

Now, Ruffalo has responded, and publicly suggested that Cameron should answer the question of whether the alternative option for Warner Bros. — that it is bought by Paramount — was any better.

Resident Evil 2's director and famed developer, Hideki Kamiya, has opened up on his thoughts about leaks and spoilers, suggesting those who revel in ruining surprises for others "deserve a thousand deaths" and "be cursed to never be able to play games again."

His thoughts come as Resident Evil Requiem spoilers flood the internet, even though Capcom has promised "firm action" against those responsible. The developer said it believed the "large number of gameplay videos" now floating around the internet — some of which contain huge spoilers and clips of the game's finale, which IGN verified as legitimate — originated from copies obtained "through illegal means."

Now, in a message posted to Twitter/X and translated by machine (which means there may be some inaccuracies or missing nuance), Kamiya reflected on how spoilers also impacted the release of Resident Evil 2.

"I'm sure the final developments of [Resident Evil 2] were also exposed in a weekly photo magazine…" he wrote. "For your own selfish satisfaction, you trample on the feelings of the users who were looking forward to the game, as well as the feelings of the creators who put all their effort into making it.

"It's a despicable act that destroys the happiness of everyone, and deserves a thousand deaths... May you be cursed to never be able to play games again..."

Capcom stressed the posting of these videos constitutes copyright infringement, as well as generally being "an act that offends other customers." However, the publisher seems somewhat limited in what it can actually do in response, suggesting it will simply delete the videos or issue "warnings."

Thankfully, we don't have long to wait now, as Resident Evil Requiem's February 27 release date is but a few short days away. "After getting hands-on with a total of about four hours of Resident Evil 9 Requiem at this point, and sharing that experience with colleagues, I’m more excited for the series than I have been in recent memory," IGN wrote after going hands-on with Resident Evil Requiem recently. "It’s the old mixed with the new, but all in a modern package with two protagonists I already like a lot."

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

PlayStation just launched a brand new sale on its online store in the US, and it includes some of the best deals and discounts we've seen for PS5 since Black Friday. The sale runs until March 9, and includes a wide variety of offers to check out across games, accessories, and more.

Standout inclusions are $20 off physical copies of Ghost of Yotei, its first major discount since release, alongside the limited edition Death Stranding 2 DualSense Controller, which has also secured a $20 discount.

Some other highlights include the complete edition of Horizon Forbidden West for $20 (physical copy), which is an amazing deal, especially since this includes all the add-on content, such as the Burning Shores story expansion that picks up where the main game left off.

That expansion costs $20 alone, so if you've been playing via PS Plus, it's massively beneficial for you to now own the full game and DLC as a single purchase.

That's not the only fantastic game down to $20 either, as you can also score God of War Ragnarok with an almighty $50 discount. Both of these are down to their Black Friday pricing from last year, and well worth considering.

I'd also recommend Spider-Man 2, down to just $30, and $40 off, alongside Death Stranding 2 for $50 and Stellar Blade for $40. Astro Bot is also down to its lowest price ever at $32.99 via Amazon right now. Note, these are all physical copies that have been discounted, so ensure you've got the PS5 disc drive to take advantage of the discounts (I'm looking at you, PS5 Pro owners).

Besides games, my next best pick is up to 50% off select PS5 console covers, with the Midnight Black slim covers and other standard colorways down to $39, and the Colbalt Blue slim covers down to just $44. That's a significant drop from the usual $54-59. You can also save $100 on PlayStation VR2, Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yotei Collector's Editions.

Just to top things off, there's also $100 off PS5 consoles in the form of the ongoing Fortnite Flowering Chaos Bundle (which first featured over Black Friday/Holiday sales last year), and up to $150 saving on Certified Refurbished PlayStation consoles, controllers, and more. My favorite from this offering is definitely on the DualSense Edge Controller, which you can score for $169.

That's Black Friday level pricing, even if it is a refurbished deal, I guarantee you won't be able to tell the difference, and it just makes things all the more affordable in a difficult and expensive time to be a gamer. But, it's worth noting that the certified refurbished deals are an ongoing offer at PS Direct, so they won't expire once the official promo period ends on March 9. PlayStation, and myself, are simply highlighting them during the sale.

Moreover, as mentioned, $100 off PS5 consoles is another great deal, but it is also another ongoing promotion that has been going since the end of last year. It's still a limited edition console, and a great deal at that, but not something that is specific to this particular sale. Still, I wanted to include it, as it's still a tidy offering, and worth considering if you're in the market for a new console, perhaps to even play GTA 6 later this year.

PlayStation's new sale is fairly extensive, and the best deals we've seen on physical games since November last year, and in some cases the deals are even better. There's plenty more offers to check out in the sale right now, with several other games discounted that I haven't mentioned, so be sure to check out the full sale in case I've missed anything important to you.

Robert Anderson is IGN's Senior Commerce Editor and resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Bluesky.

Tencent has shut down TiMi Montréal, the studio employing former Assassin's Creed creative director, Ashraf Ismail.

Ismail joined the studio after his high-profile exit from Ubisoft following an internal investigation into misconduct in 2020. Previously, he served as creative director on Assassin's Creed's most recent blockbusters made out of its Montreal hub, including Black Flag, Origins and Valhalla.

The five-year-old TiMi Montréal — which is part of the bigger multinational TiMi Studio Group — has not released any games in that time, but had been planning to create "AAA open-world, multi-platform games."

The wider TiMi group publishes a number of mobile games, including Call of Duty: Mobile (not to be confused with Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, which shuts down in April), as well as shooter Delta Force.

Game File says sources had warned that a "shutdown was imminent," but the news was confirmed when a senior gameplay programmer wrote in a now-deleted/privated LinkedIn message that though the team "had been aware this was coming for some time, it doesn't make the reality any easier".

Responding to that message, a designer also affected by the closure wrote: "This team was exceptional not just in talent, but also in camaraderie. It’s one of those experiences that sticks with you for a very long time, and I feel privileged to have been part of it".

Microsoft's new gaming boss Asha Sharma has begun chatting on social media with Xbox fans — and responding to comments regarding her perceived lack of gaming knowledge and background in AI.

Sharma began posting on Twitter/X last Friday, just hours after IGN exclusively broke the news that Sharma had been picked by Microsoft boss Satya Nadella to replace veteran Xbox chief Phil Spencer. The seismic reshuffle also resulted in Sarah Bond's resignation, while studios chief Matt Booty got a promotion.

Amid a discussion of the best games ever, Sharma acknowledged she was "no XboxP3 [Phil Spencer]" when it came to gaming knowledge, but shared her own personal top three: "Halo, Valheim, Goldeneye." Responding to one fan who listed Chrono Trigger as their all-time favorite, Sharma noted it had been "a long time" since she'd played the classic RPG. Responding to another user who told her "I don't believe you. In fact, I think your account is an AI," Sharma simply replied: "Beep Boop Beep Boop."

Sharma also shared her Xbox gamertag — AMRAHSAHSA — allowing users to go browse her recent gaming history. It appears the account unlocked its first achievement on January 15 of this year (the fittingly-named 'Your Journey Begins' from Halo: The Master Chief Collection), and has since been used to play 30 titles — most recently including Forza Horizon 5 over the weekend.

Amid a fair bit of dabbling on Minecraft and Vampire Survivors, the account has collected the majority of the achievements in narrative-led games such as Firewatch, Gone Home and What Remains of Edith Finch, as well as indie adventure A Short Hike and brick-breaking roguelite BALL x PIT.

Back on social media, Sharma responded to Xbox's official acknowledgement of her announce with the teasing: "Should bring the blade dashboard?" and had time to react to one fan's autotuned "song" bemoaning Spencer's departure and replacement with Sharma "who nobody knows."

😂

— Asha (@asha_shar) February 21, 2026

IGN has much more on Sharma's arrival and the departure of Phil Spencer including the many farewells to him from veteran developers, Spencer's personal words to the Xbox community following his departure, and Sharma's own responses to initial concerns around her recent AI work and lack of gaming industry job experience.

Image credit: Microsoft

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Codes for The Forge will grant you additional rerolls if RNG isn't on your side and you don't get one of the best classes on your initial rerolls. In this RPG Roblox experience, you'll be able to play as a human, goblin, dragonborn, and more. Each race has its unique perks, influencing stats such as health, damage, attack power, and more.

It's no surprise that The Forge focuses heavily on mining. The core gameplay centers around mining for ores, in the hopes of finding rare ores to forge powerful weapons and armor. You'll then throw those ores into a forge, where the blend of resources you use allows you to make items with special traits and designs.

What is the Latest Code for The Forge?

The latest active code for The Forge is DELAYCOMPENSATION which gives 20 Race Rerolls and 1 XP Totem. It was added on Thursday, February 12.

Working The Forge Codes (February 2026)

Want to know how to get rerolls for The Forge? Use these currently active codes:

• DELAYCOMPENSATION - 20x Race Rerolls, 1x XP Totem (NEW)

Expired The Forge Codes (February 2026)

These codes have now expired and can no longer be used:

• DELAYCOMPENSATION
• FORGEWEEKEND5!
• FORGEWEEKEND4!
• FORGEWEEKEND3!
• FORGEWEEKEND2!
• QOL!
• MAZE
• FORGWEEKEND!
• RAVEN
• HAPPYNEWYEAR
• FORGE2M
• SORRYFORBUGS
• XMAS!
• SORRYFORDELAY
• HEART
• FORG!
• FREESPINS
• PEAK!
• 400K!
• SORRYFORSHUTDOWN
• 100KLIKES
• 300K!
• 200K!
• 100K!
• 40KLIKES
• 20KLIKES
• 15KLIKES
• 10KLIKES
• 5KLIKES
• BETARELEASE!
• POSTRELEASEQNA
• RELEASE

How to Use The Forge Codes

Ready to redeem the codes above? Here's what you need to do:

1. Load up The Forge on Roblox
2. Open the Settings menu in the top left corner of the screen.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of Settings to find the Codes bar
4. Copy the code from this article
5. Enter the code into the "Type Here" bar
6. Press claim

FAQs for The Forge

Have a particular question about The Forge and codes? See our answers to frequently asked questions below.

Why Isn't My Code for The Forge Working?

When a code doesn't work for The Forge, it's usually because of two reasons:

• The code for The Forge has expired
• There's a spelling mistake or an additional space in the code

Codes for Roblox experiences are typically case-sensitive, so the best way to ensure you've got a working code is to directly copy it from this article. We check all codes before we upload them, so you can guarantee they're working. Just double-check that you haven't copied over an extra space!

How Do I Get More Codes for The Forge?

We regularly check and test new codes for popular Roblox experiences, so the best way to get more codes for The Forge is to visit this article. But if you want to mine for codes yourself, then the Discord server for The Forge is the best place to go.

How Often Do Codes Release for The Forge?

Since the Beta release, we've found that the creators of The Forge frequently release codes, giving you Totems that can only be used once or rerolls for new races. There is no set schedule for code releases, but they tend to come out when a new like milestone has been reached (e.g. 100K likes) or an update takes place. Keep an eye out for weekend luck boost events that also usually come with a code.

When Is the Next Update or Event for The Forge?

The next update for The Forge is planned for Sunday, February 22. It's the Crimson Sakura Expansion, which will add a fourth island, new boss, balancing, and more. Otherwise, the developers do run a mini-event each weekend where they give global boosts. These can increase your mining damage or luck.

Lauren Harper is an Associate Guides Editor. She loves a variety of games but is especially fond of puzzles, horrors, and point-and-click adventures.

Full spoilers ahead for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Season 1.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has concluded its first season, but that’s not the end of the journey for Dunk and Egg. The towering hedge knight and his young squire will return for a second season — and likely a third — on HBO, but there’s precious little on-the-record information at this point about what’s in store for viewers. Fortunately, showrunner Ira Parker recently chatted with IGN to help shed light on what fans can expect from the next season. Read on for what we learned about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Season 2.

What Is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 About?

Like the first season, Season 2 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will consist of six half-hour episodes. It will adapt “The Sworn Sword,” the second novella in George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg series. Set a few years after the events depicted in Season 1, Season 2 brings in a new cast of characters for Dunk and Egg to encounter, most notably Lady Rohanne Webber, aka the Red Widow, and Ser Eustace Osgrey, two rivals locked in a bitter land dispute as a drought devastates the Reach. Lady Rohanne is believed to be an old witch responsible for the deaths of her first four husbands, but she is in fact an attractive young woman with political savvy and ambiguous intentions. Ser Eustace is a proud old knight and veteran of the First Blackfyre Rebellion to whom Dunk swears his sword.

If “Season 1 really is about fathers and sons and what's passed on to the next generation,” then Season 2, as showrunner Ira Parker recently told IGN, will explore the theme of “loyalty and maybe against blind loyalty.”

Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell will reprise their roles as Dunk and Egg, respectively, although the casting of Lady Rohanne and Ser Eustace has not yet been revealed.

Given how short “The Sworn Sword” is – it runs a little over 100 pages, depending on the layout of the edition you have – should fans expect additional material to be added to the show?

“We're pretty faithful to the book, again," Parker said. "I would say little flourishes here and there, but we did a lot of that in Season 1 as well. It should all feel inherent to the world and to Dunk's POV.”

When Will Season 2 Premiere?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was renewed for a second season in November 2025, and Season 2 is expected to premiere sometime in 2027. They're currently filming interiors for these new episodes at Belfast’s Titanic Studios, where the original Game of Thrones was shot, with exteriors in Spain...although there’s been an unforeseen twist.

“We are going to drier pastures in Spain for [the drought scenes],” Parker said. “Except that the location that was meant to be our dry riverbed is now a fully flowing river after getting rain for the first time in ten years at this location, and so now has sent us scrambling and searching for changes at this late date.”

How Many Seasons Will There Be of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

Although Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin has outlines for 12 additional Dunk and Egg novellas that would follow the duo through the rest of their lives – outlines which he’s since shared with Parker – as of right now, HBO has only expressed interest in three seasons of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms based on the three existing published novellas.

“We're working, I'd say, pretty quickly," Parker said. "I think the plan would be to do one [season] a year, and so then we'll see if the fans keep responding. But this is a very fun world to write in, there's a lot of possibilities.” Parker added that seeing Egg grow up and Dunk evolve is important to the saga. “As you go through someone's whole life, theoretically it allows us to change the location and the tone and nature of the show, just as people's lives change from childhood to young adulthood, to marriage and children and later in life.”

Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was largely fantasy-free, since it takes place after the demise of dragons, but it still managed to work in a dark prophecy about Dunk and Egg’s distant future; it doesn’t sound like Season 2 will expand on all that, however.

“Those moments to me, especially in [Season 1], are so small and minor and unconfirmed as well,” Parker said. “I mean, [I] find a lot of people who have read the books and who think that they know the canon of where these lives go will say, ‘Oh, the fortune teller told a prophecy.’ And I'm just like, ‘Or it's what Dunk thinks it is and it's just a person there who gives one good and one bad, and that's how they make their money, because it's fun and you're at a tournament.’ So maybe, there's a lot that went into the thinking of that moment, and none of it ends up on screen, but it's there in our head. So maybe we revisit at some point, but who knows?”

Will the Targaryens Return for Season 2?

It doesn’t sound like it. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 ends with Egg explaining to Dunk that there are actually nine kingdoms and not seven, with the final title card of “A Knight of the Nine Kingdoms” popping up at the end. Showrunner Ira Parker clarified that they were just having a bit of fun with that and the series is not actually being renamed.

There’s also an end credits scene in the Season 1 finale that reveals Egg did not, in fact, get his father’s permission to become a hedge knight’s squire, as we see Prince Maekar screaming about his missing son’s whereabouts while the Targaryens ride out of Ashford.

This review contains full spoilers for this week’s episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

In “The Morrow”, a very battered Dunk wrestles with survivor’s guilt following Baelor’s death, wondering aloud why the gods spared him but took a prince’s life. Dunk’s low self-esteem, being smallfolk from Flea Bottom, makes him view himself as worth less than the highborn, even though if he’s learned anything this season it should be that knights and noble lords are full of crap.

Dunk’s guilt also stems from Baelor, like Ser Arlan of Pennytree before him, having shown him kindness and fighting for him. But Ser Lyonel Baratheon gives Dunk a reality check early on, pointing out that as a Targaryen prince, Baelor was supposed to be safe and it was himself and the other members of Dunk’s seven knights who were actually risking their lives for him. “And the gods don’t favor a fraud,” he adds.

While Ser Lyonel’s scenes – and a later scene with Raymun Fossoway and his honey trap new wife, Red – reintroduce some humor back into A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the season finale remains largely a dramatic tale as Dunk struggles with finding meaning in what transpired at Ashford and where to go next. Egg still wants to be Dunk’s squire, something even Egg’s dad Prince Maekar is willing to allow and have Dunk swear his sword to him. Dunk declines, saying he’s done with princes. Egg is disappointed in Dunk, doubting that he’s the knight he thought he was. Sometimes a kid knows just what to say to a grown-up to hit them where it hurts most.

It’s not until Prince Daeron essentially broaches the subject of nature vs. nurture with Dunk, revealing that Aerion was a good kid once before he became a monster, that Dunk realizes he could perhaps have an influence on Egg to make sure he doesn’t end up being yet another Targaryen tyrant. If he’s to do this, though, he’ll do it on his terms, telling Maekar that Egg will learn as he did by living the life of the squire to a hedge knight. Maekar ain’t having it; royal pride and traditions demand that the Blood of the Dragon not live as a peasant. Or at least that’s his pretense.

Maekar actor Sam Spruell has his best moments of the season in this finale, revealing a wounded humanity within this father exasperated by his family. When Maekar sees Egg standing at Aerion’s bedside holding a dagger – what a great moment that was of Egg looking at his white hair growing back and not wanting to look like his cruel brother – he doesn’t respond with anger or punishment, but comfort and compassion, gently placing his hands on his youngest son’s shoulders.

He understands why Egg is doing what he’s doing at that moment and knows exactly who Aerion is. It’s an incredibly human scene and it’s all done without anyone saying a word, but it speaks volumes. As Maekar tells Dunk when he rejects his offer of taking Egg on the road, Egg is his last son. He can’t stomach anything bad happening to him.

Egg has other ideas. In the end, the impetuous scamp cons Dunk once again, running off to be Dunk’s squire by saying Maekar had given him his blessing (which we learn in the humorous end credits scene is not the case at all). Dunk and Egg are now free to wander the, ahem, Nine Kingdoms seeking adventure. And as symbolized by that bittersweet final image of the specter of Ser Arlan riding away from them, Dunk is now his own man and his own knight.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 2 can’t arrive soon enough for me.