Which Game of Thrones season contains exactly seven episodes?

Game of Thrones season 7 is the season that contains exactly seven episodes. It premiered on July 16, 2017, and concluded on August 27, 2017, making it shorter than the show’s standard ten-episode seasons.

HBO ordered seven episodes because the production had become increasingly elaborate and cinematic. The season required extensive location work and longer episodes, including a 71-minute penultimate episode and an 81-minute finale. Its story focuses on the convergence of major plots before the final season: Daenerys arrives in Westeros, Jon seeks help against the Army of the Dead, and the Wall is breached.

The main confusion is with season 8, which is also shorter than usual but contains six episodes, not seven. Seasons 1 through 6 each contain ten episodes, while season 7 is the only seven-episode season. The reduced episode count therefore refers to the season as a whole, not to a partial broadcast order or a special edition.