Season 7 is coming: HBO uses fire and ice to reveal ‘Game of Thrones’ premiere date

March usually means that the return of Game of Thrones is just a month away, but everything has changed this year. We’re stuck waiting till summer for more of the HBO drama — and being patient isn’t easy. The good news is that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The premium network has finally revealed the season 7 premiere date.

The big announcement came Thursday during a Facebook Live video. Fans had to wait more than an hour for a block of ice to melt down to show the date, but in the end, the information was revealed. Just as star Liam Cunningham (Ser Davos) recently suggested, Game of Thrones season 7 will premiere in July — on July 16, to be exact. At last, it is known.

The unique — but somewhat infuriating — fire-and-ice reveal foreshadowed a clash coming this season. We might be reading too much into this, but it was interesting to see that fire ultimately triumphed, slowly but surely. Either way, the meeting of fire and ice should play heavily into the season and the remainder of the series now that the real war is here. It was also the focus of the first Game of Thrones teaser poster.

Even with the premiere date finally unveiled, we still have many questions that only the show can answer. There is boundless drama ahead as the constant power struggles continue and the people of Westeros resume their game of musical chairs with the Iron Throne. Of course, we can’t forget the more terrifying threat in the White Walkers and the long winter.

The wait for season 7 is still far from over, but at least now we can plan our summers around winter in Westeros. Our patience will be rewarded when Game of Thrones returns on July 16.