Real spoilers are, of course, sparse - seven years in and the Game of Thrones team know how to guarded their secrets. But the odd nugget will inescapably slip through the net... and here's what we absolutely know about next year's events.

1. Winter Is Here

So Sansa told her sorta-sibling Jon in the suitably-titled season six finale, 'The Winds of Winter'.

Anticipate a more grim-looking GoT, with less of the sunny rest offered by trips to strange locations like Dorne.

In order to catch some suitably "grim, grey weather", the next season - inveterate to span seven episodes.

2. The Full Cast - Exposed

Here's everybody who's confirmed to be leading on GoT next season - and for a show that constantly offs its major individualities, there sure a lot of 'em still standing.

Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Lena Headey will come back as the Lannister clan - Tyrion, Jaime and Cersei respectively - while Emilia Clarke is back as Daenerys Targaryen and Kit Harington is on board as Jon Snow.

3. New Characters Are Coming

But not limited to: among the rookies will be Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent in a enigmatic-but-major role (suspected to be Maester Marwyn, the most magical-leaning of the Citadel's academics) and Dickensian actor Joseph Quinn, who'll play an all-new character (as in, not in Martin's novels) named Koner.

4. Daenerys Arrives In Westeros

The finale to series six saw Daenerys finally set sail for Westeros - uniting the combined forces of the Unsullied, the Dothraki and the Ironborn, with Tyrion, Varys, Missandei, Olenna Tyrell, the women of Dorne and her dragons all at her side.

And the good news is that she emerges to make it to land without any delays: in a recent video posted from set, we can see a patch of grass behind Emilia Clarke, evidently validating that she's a long way from Essos and has certainly arrived at her end.

5. Cersei Will Be Worse Than Ever

Of course, Dany's bumping towards conflict with Cersei, who'll be a major player this season holding just seized the Iron Throne ensuing the death of her son Tommen.

"The thing that gave Cersei humanity was her kids," Lena Headey has said. "They're gone now. Her father is gone. Tyrion is gone. There's no-one to tell her she can't, she's stupid, she's just a woman.

"I think when Jaime looks anything other than happy, she has a "F*k you" moment. This will be such an interesting season for them."

6. Expect The Biggest Battles Yet

The Battle of the Bastards? Pah. Off-season, GoT is set to lose a war so "epic" that it'll make that little clash look like a playground scuffle.

Rumors suggest it'll entangle Euron Greyjoy - now the show's chief scoundrel in residence following Ramsay Bolton's demise - and a major dispute with his niece and nephew Yara and Theon.

From the early info, it sounds like there'll be more blood spilt before the fight for the Iron Throne is over...