It’s official: ‘Game of Thrones’ will end with Season 8

All good men must die, and so, it seems, must good television.

HBO confirmed Saturday that “Game of Thrones” will end after its eighth season, after several months of speculation by fans and critics.Casey Bloys, the network’s programming executive, told Entertainment Weekly the plan Saturday.

“Yes, they have a very specific plan about the number of seasons they want to do,” Bloyssaid at the Television Critics Association’s press tourthis weekend. “Believe me, as the new [programming executive] coming in, if I could get them to do more, I would take 10 more seasons. But we take their lead on what they think they can do [for] the best version of the show.”

There is also speculation that the eighth and final season will consist of only six episodes, whereas past seasons have included 10. Season 7 returns next summer and will have seven episodes, andBloys told EW that the exact number of episodes in Season 8 hasnot been finalized yet.

Bloys also said a spin-off series could also happen, something “A Song of Ice and Fire” author George R.R. Martin has also supported.

“We’ve talked about it,” Bloyssaid. “It’s something I’m not opposed to, but of course it has to make sense creatively … I’m open to it. The guys weren’t opposed to it, but there’s no concrete plans for it at this point.”

In the meantime, “Thrones” fans aren’t taking the news well.