Category: Games

Game of Thrones is finally back. Episode 1 aired tonight on HBO, and it served as a setup of sorts to dramatic events to come in the show’s eighth and final season. Now that the episode has ended, HBO has released a nice behind-the-scenes video where showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss break down the episode’s biggest moments and key scenes.

Obviously this video is stuffed with spoilers, so be sure to watch the episode first before checking out this breakdown. With that out of the way, here you go:

For lots more on Episode 1, you can check out GameSpot’s review of the episode here. You can also read the stories below to learn more about Game of Thrones and the first episode; we’ve put spoiler tags on two of them because even the titles might be spoiler-y:

Game of Thrones Season 8 spoilers below!

Game of Thrones is approaching its end in Season 8, and some of the elements that have been in play since the beginning are finally starting to wrap up. Among those are Jon Snow’s parentage, the prophecy that Daenerys heard in her travels across the Narrow Sea, and other mystical things that look to be important to the final battle of the Night King.

One giant hanging thread is the question of the Prince That Was Promised, a longstanding prophecy about the hero who will appear to kill the Night King with the help of the Lord of Light. Also known as Azor Ahai, the question of who will fill the role of the Prince That Was Promised has been teased since Season 2 and the introduction of the Red Witch Melisandre and Stannis Baratheon. The premiere of Season 8 might have given a new hint as to who Azor Ahai is, and could be answering a question fans of both the show and the books on which they’re based have had for years.

It starts in Season 7, when Jon had a bonding moment with Drogon, touching the dragon and seemingly gaining his trust. In the Season 8 premiere, Jon actually rides Rhaegal, Daenerys’ other surviving dragon. It’s an extension of that moment Season 7, solidifying Jon’s bond with both Daenerys and the dragons. We saw in Season 7 what might be the reason for Drogon trusting Jon: he’s actually the son of Daenerys’ brother, Prince Rhaegar. He’s member of the royal family of dragon riders who consider themselves to be “blood of the dragon.” (It’s also worth noting that Rhaegal is named for Rhaegar, Jon’s father–a fact Jon will likely find very meaningful.)

Jon riding a dragon seemingly answers a question fans have been wondering about for years, thanks to a prophecy that doesn’t appear in the show, but is in George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” books on which Game of Thrones is based. In that book, Daenerys had a vision of Rhaegar when she was in the House of the Undying in Qarth, in which Rhaegar said his son Aegon was the Prince That Was Promised. He also told Daenerys “the dragon has three heads.” (In the show, Daenerys sees the Red Keep in ruins and the Iron Throne frozen, and is visited briefly by the ghosts of her husband Drogo and their baby, Rhaego.)

First off, we now know that Jon is, in fact, Rhaegar’s son Aegon. That might mean that he’s the returned Azor Ahai–the hero the red priests of the Lord of Light have been expecting to show up and defeat the Night King, using a flaming sword called Lightbringer.

The second part of the vision is still an open question, though, if the show is going to address it. Fans have interpreted “the dragon has three heads” to suggest there will be three key people who will ride Daenerys’ dragons–and maybe even three Targaryens. That tracks with the revelation that Jon is a Targaryen, and now seeing him riding a dragon.

The question is whether “the dragon has three heads” will actually be born out by the show now that the Night King has turned Daenerys’ third dragon, Viserion, into an undead wight. Fans have been expecting a third dragon rider, but now the third dragon rider is the Night King himself.

But there’s still room for another hidden Targaryen to appear. As fans have theorized who might be the third of the dragon’s three heads, a lot of speculation has fallen to Tyrion Lannister. There’s a rumor in Westeros that Tyrion isn’t really the son of Tywin Lannister, but that the Mad King Aerys Targaryen raped Tyrion’s mother, Joanna Lannister. That might be part of the reason why Tywin was so awful to Tyrion his whole life, and fulfill Daenerys’ vision. Tyrion also had his moment with the dragons under the pyramid of Meereen, which makes him one of the few people they seem cool with.

In any event, it seems the dragon has two heads, at least. And if Game of Thrones doesn’t address Rhaegar’s words through the rest of Season 8, it seems there might still be a few tidbits for fans of the novels to look forward to–if Martin ever finishes the series.

Things are looking pretty rough for House Lannister in Season 8 of Game of Thrones. Cersei might hold the Iron Throne, but it has cost her a great deal–all three of her children are dead, and she’s been at war for pretty much her entire reign. Through it all, though, she had her twin brother Jaime at her side.

That changed at the end of Season 7. After Jaime and Cersei met with Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion, the Lannisters pledged to help with the war against the White Walkers. But once everyone had left King’s Landing, Cersei revealed that she planned to double-cross everybody else and leave them to get wiped out by the White Walkers. Jaime wasn’t happy about Cersei forcing him to break his promise, so at the end of the season, he struck off north alone, leaving his sister behind.

Cersei had already threatened Jaime about betraying her, and it’s well known that she hates her other brother, Tyrion. In the premiere of Season 8, we see how Cersei plans to deal with Jaime and Tyrion–she’s sending Bronn to kill both of them with a crossbow. Cersei likes to make a statement with her murders, though–which is why the weapon Qyburn gave to Bronn to use on the traitorous Lannisters is a significant one.

It’s the same crossbow Tyrion wielded way back in Season 4, and used to kill his father, Tywin Lannister. That was after Tyrion was tried and convicted of poisoning King Joffrey, and Tywin sentenced Tyrion to death, even though he was innocent. Jaime helped Tyrion escape, but before he did, Tyrion went to Tywin’s room. There, Tyrion found Shae, his former lover who testified against him, and killed her. After that, Tyrion found Tywin on the toilet, and finished him off with a crossbow decorated with gold.

Cersei sending Bronn with that same crossbow is a reminder of Tyrion’s betrayal of the Lannister family. She blames Tyrion for the deaths of her children–since Joffrey’s death, she’s maintained that Tyrion was responsible, but even learning from Jaime that Lady Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) poisoned her son hasn’t changed her mind. She also blames him for the deaths of Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free) and Tommen–as Cersei said in Season 7, when Tyrion killed Tywin, it left the Lannisters exposed.

“Do you have any idea what you did when you fired that crossbow?” Cersei asks Tyrion. “You left us open. You laid us bare for the vultures and the vultures came and tore us apart. You may not have killed Joffrey, but you killed Myrcella, you killed Tommen. No one would have touched them if Father was here–no one would have dared.”

Making sure that the same crossbow Tyrion used to kill Tywin is used against him is exactly the kind of poetic message-sending Cersei loves. Like playing “The Rains of Castamere,” it’s a power move that builds her reputation, shows her spite for her enemies, and strikes fear in others. The question now is whether Bronn will actually try to kill his two former employers.

The final season of Game of Thrones is here. The premiere episode aired on HBO tonight, marking the beginning of the end. There are just five more episodes left to go now, and Game of Thrones has a lot to fit in before the finale if the show wants to wrap up every loose end created over the last eight years. For now, though, Season 8 Episode 1 was focused on one thing above all others: setup.

Events in Winterfell set up the battle to come, as well as the interpersonal conflicts that will ultimately help determine the outcome of that battle. The characters in King’s Landing continued to maneuver for the inevitable conclusion of the war of Westeros’s Great Houses, and offscreen, the White Walkers struck their first blow south of the Wall.

There were some monumental events in this episode–which will hopefully be the case for every episode of the final season. But from Jon finally riding a dragon to his finding out that he’s the true heir to the Iron Throne, even these long-awaited, emotionally charged moments are really just setup for conflicts to come.

Jon learning that he’s a Targaryen is something book readers have been waiting for ever since the first book was published back in 1996 and fans originally theorized about his true parentage (the books are so far behind at this point that the theory still hasn’t been confirmed officially in the source material). Jon and Daenerys being related doesn’t necessarily spell doom for their blooming relationship–Targaryens of old frequently married within their own family to keep their Valyrian bloodline going strong. But as Jon replied to Sam in this premiere, voicing the revelation is akin to treason. Dany, on the other hand, has been self-assured regarding her right to the Throne since the beginning–and come to think of it, she probably won’t take well to this news. Based on this episode, it’s shaping up to be one of the major conflicts of the final season.

The sight of Dany’s Unsullied marching through the streets of Winter Town was enough to stir any Game of Thrones fan’s blood, whether you started with the TV show or have been reading the books for 23 years. Old school Game of Thrones fans are much more comfortable in the in-between, perpetually waiting for the next book to come out or the next season to premiere. To be so close to the end is actually slightly uncomfortable, but for better or worse, here we are.

One thing that will always feel good is watching long-separated Starks finally reunite. And this was an episode of reunions. From Jon and Arya to Sansa and Tyrion, these are conversations fans have speculated about, theorized on, and dreamt of for years. And by and large, they delivered exactly what we wanted: Arya flirted with Gendry and was vaguely threatening toward Sandor, while Sansa and Tyrion showed something approaching a mutual understanding. If nothing else, it’s simply fun to see these characters come back together after so very long apart.

For books fans, though, the show still can’t help but feel a bit like fan fiction. Some characters, like the Hound, were so far removed from the story the last time we glimpsed them in the books that it seems unlikely they’ll ever actually re-enter the books’ events. Others, like Cersei, have changed so much from the source material that they’re barely recognizable. I’m not saying whether that’s good or bad–it just is. Since author George R.R. Martin hasn’t been able to finish a book in eight years, this is the situation we’re in.

In King’s Landing, events progressed pretty much as you’d expect. Euron arrived with the Golden Company, and Cersei continued to deride everyone around her, which will hopefully be her ultimate downfall. Euron finally getting in her pants may have been a big event for him–and no doubt Jamie wouldn’t be thrilled if he were around–but for Cersei, using her sexuality to control the people around her isn’t anything new. She’s up to the same old tricks, but as this war comes to an end, old tricks might not cut it anymore. That said, we wanted to see those elephants as badly as you did, Cersei.

There are only five episodes left of Game of Thrones. For longtime fans, it’s bittersweet to get the ending from HBO’s series instead of the books that we’ve loved for decades. But despite some ups and downs, HBO has done a fine job finishing what George R.R. Martin apparently can’t. And I’m excited to see exactly how they do it over the next five weeks.

The Star Wars MMO The Old Republic launched all the way back in 2011, and it continues to get new content. The game’s seventh expansion and its first since 2016’s Knights of the Eternal Throne, has been announced. Called Onslaught, the expansion is coming this September.

“Star Wars: The Old Republic: Onslaught puts you at the center of the reignited war between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire,” reads a line from its announcement. “Will you remain loyal to your faction or work to undermine and sabotage their war efforts? The choice is yours.”

Onslaught adds two new planets, a new Flashpoint, and a new Operation, and more abilities, while the level cap increases with the expansion as well.

Players will travel to places like Onderon and Mek-Sha in search of new adventures and opportunities. The new Flashpoint, which is The Old Republic’s version of a dungeon, is set on Corellia, while the new Operation (or raid) takes place on Onderon’s biggest moon, Dxun.

“Our philosophy for this expansion is, play your way,” the developer said. “Items have always been an important part of your character’s identity, but for the first time we are offering true depth and choice with exciting new items that let you decide how to play in the upcoming battle.”

There is a new type of gear slot available in the update in the form of Tactical items. “These build-defining items directly alter your abilities and playstyle. Taking these new items, players will be able to pair them with numerous new set bonuses to choose from, including general sets that can be used by everyone,” BioWare said.

Players can acquire the new sets through PvE, PvP, Galactic Command, or Crafting.

Onslaught is free for The Old Republic subscribers, but a price point was not mentioned for those who are playing without a subscription.

Onslaught is The Old Republic’s seventh expansion; it follows Rise of the Hutt Cartel (2013), Galactic Starfighter (2014), Galactic Strongholds (2014), Shadow Revan (2014), Knights of the Fallen Empire (2015), and Knights of the Eternal Throne (2016).

In other Star Wars news, EA just recently detailed Respawn’s new Star Wars action game Jedi Fallen Order—get all the details here.