This is why there won't be a Game of Thrones season 7 leak

You'll know nothing until the premiere date, Jon Snow

You’ll be hard pressed to find any spoilers for Game of Thrones season 7, as HBO’s taking extra precautions to make sure no leaks happen this time round. The network is making the unusual choice to withhold review copies from critics - meaning that everybody’s going to experience whatever fresh hell befalls the Stark family at the same time.

This isn’t the first instance where HBO has chosen not to release advance screeners, and it probably won’t be the last. They’ve been burned once before in 2015, when a review copy with the first four episodes of season 5 was uploaded to the internet and threw their schedule and marketing plan into disarray. The year after, they barred all critics from review copies.

It’s not unusual for reviewers to receive advance copies, as their write-ups generally form part of the marketing in the lead up to a show’s release date. However given that the new Game of Thrones season has been hyped so much, we think HBO will do just fine without the extra boost.

Given that millions of pounds have been poured into the award-winning series and the Game of Thrones cast salaries have reached a record high this season, it only makes sense that HBO will be doing everything they can to keep the biggest highlights a secret. Since the official trailer dropped, speculation has been rife and photographs have been dissected for even a whiff of Game of Thrones season 7 spoilers.

We know some things though. For example, the trailer revealed Littlefinger driving a wedge between the remaining members of the Stark family and Daenerys setting foot on Westeros. There’s been a glimmer of epic fight scenes and the promise of more White Walker shakedowns, as they’ve been featured quite heavily in early marketing materials.

While HBO might be able to avoid early spoilers and leaks of the series, there's no accounting for that one guy on Facebook posting episode by episode spoiler updates once it starts airing. If you can't see an episode the day it's released, use social media at your own peril.

The first episode of season 7 will air on Sky Atlantic on July 17 in the UK.

Megan is a freelance journalist who covers entertainment and all things lifestyle, with a particular passion for fashion, beauty, travel and Keanu Reeves stories. She has previously worked on staff for titles including Marie Claire UK, CNN Style and The Evening Standard and has written for titles such as Bustle UK, Wallpaper*, Forbes and Hong Kong Tatler. She splits her time between London and her hometown Hong Kong, where she currently lives with the love of her life - an elderly dog named Poppy - and her husband.