Things just got real for 'Game Of Thrones'. Fans were sent into a frenzy last year with the season 6 poster featuring an ambiguous image of Jon Snow, and then the subsequent teaser trailer saw the return of his little brother Bran, and now we can finally unveil the official air date for the first episode in April.

Kit Harington in Game Of ThronesWhat happened to Jon Snow?

All any 'Game Of Thrones' fan really cares about right now is what's going to happen to Kit Harington's character Jon Snow, so the as yet untitled first episode better deliver. There's almost a certainty in the air that he somehow survives his vicious slaughter at the hands of his callous Watch comrade in the final season 5 show 'Mother's Mercy', but, as Bran put it in the brief trailer last month, we have 'no idea what's going to happen'.

More: Watch the trailer for 'Game Of Thrones' season 6

As for what we know so far about the upcoming season, there's very little to reveal besides the return of Bran and the possible survival of Snow. We do know that we are looking at 10 episodes and the first and second episodes have been directed by Jeremy Podeswa, who came aboard last year for season 5 with the episodes 'Kill The Boy' and 'Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken'; the latter of which earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination for that visceral and controversial rape scene between Sansa and Ramsay following their marriage.

For the 'Game Of Thrones' purists out there, you'll have to wait a little longer for the new addition to George R.R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' saga, which means the TV series has finally overtaken the narrative - the guessing game just got harder! Also, things look promising for the future of the series as HBO have revealed that they have almost settle negotiations to complete another two seasons, according the The Hollywood Reporter.

Season 6 of 'Game Of Thrones will air on HBO on April 24th 2016. The network will also welcome back 'Silicon Valley' and 'Veep' on the same night.