First four episodes of Game of Thrones season 5 leak online

The fifth season of Game of Thrones premieres tonight on HBO, but it’s getting an early airing on the internet. While you’d normally have to wait four weeks to see the initial four episodes of the series, they’ve been leaked to torrent sites and some fans are scrambling to download them. Having one episode leak is bad enough, but four means fans will have to avoid internet spoilers for a month or download the episodes illegally.

The leaked copies appear to be 480p quality, and likely obtained through early screeners. Game of Thrones is no stranger to leaks and illegal downloads. It’s one of the most popular illegally downloaded shows, and a trailer for season 5 leaked ahead of its official debut. If you want to keep on the official spoiler-free side of Game of Thrones then the original trailer has been available for a couple of months, and there’s a couple of clips to prepare yourself for the start of the season. It all begins tonight at 9PM ET with a simultaneous airing across the globe, and we’ll start to find out who will really win season 5.

Update, 12:29 PM ET: HBO has released a statement that confirms the leak did come from early screeners. "Sadly, it seems the leaked four episodes of the upcoming season of Game of Thrones originated from within a group approved by HBO to receive them." HBO said. "We’re actively assessing how this breach occurred."