The HBO hit series 'Game of Thrones' has been one of the most compelling television serials out there. Its downright intricacy, consistent tide shifts and unexpected plot twists keep our cognition busy at work.

With the latest sixth season ending on a high note, fans have been thirsty for the penultimate season's release that premieres on July 16th. On Sunday, at the South by Southwest film festival in Texas, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss revealed that the final season of the super drama will consist only of 6 episodes, instead of the usual 10.

This comes after season 7 already being cut down to 7 episodes, making season 8 the shortest of the lot. The duo also announced popular singer-song writer Ed Sheeran's cameo appearance in the seventh season.