Production giant HBO has delivered the news no Game of Thrones fan wanted to hear: The fantasy-thriller phenomenon will be coming to an end after the eighth season.

HBO recently renewed the series – adapted from George RR Martin’s novels – for a shortened seventh season.

The eighth season will bring the saga to a close. The number of episodes for that last cycle has not been determined, HBO programming chief Casey Bloys said on Saturday at the Television Critics Association’s summer conference.

Producer says a spin-off is possible. Photo: HBO

“We’ll take as many as the (producers) will give us,” he said.

After that, a spinoff remains a possibility.

“We’re open to it, the (producers) aren’t opposed to it, but there’s no concrete plans right now,” Bloys said.

Game won’t be back with its seventh season until next summer, missing the deadline for the 2017 Emmy competition, which it routinely dominates.

Last year, Game scored a dozen Emmys.

“It’s always better to win more Emmys,” Bloys said.

“But the main goal is to do the best show possible for our subscribers and fans.”

With AAP