The Game of Thrones season 7 premiere date was announced today on the HBO series' Facebook page.

Game of Thrones season 7 premieres July 16 on HBO. The announcement came in the form of a scheduled Facebook Live event at 2 p.m. ET. Commenters were asked to type the word "FIRE" to melt a block of ice that would reveal the date.

Fans of Game of Thrones have been eagerly anticipating the season 7 premiere date for months now, especially after learning it would come back later than ever. The series typically returns in March or April but due to filming schedules it had to be moved to later in the year.

Season 7 of Game of Thrones will only have seven episodes, and the final season will air in 2018 at a yet-to-be-announced date.

Game of Thrones has turned into one of the most popular shows in the world over the course of its first six seasons. Season 6 averaged a massive 25.1 million viewers per episode through all platforms, including HBO proper, HBO Go, HBO NOW and digital records.

The series has also been a massive success at the Emmys, where it currently holds the record for most wins in awards history with 38. The series was won 12 Emmys for the past two seasons, including Best Drama Series. Nominated cast members have included Peter Dinklage (as Tyrion Lannister), who has won twice, Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Lean Headey (Cersei Lannister), Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Diana Rigg (Olenna Tyrell) and Max Von Sydow (The Three-Eyed Raven).

All six seasons of Game of Thrones are available to stream on HBO Go and HBO NOW.

Tags: Game of Thrones hbo television