Game Of Thrones: Hand Of The King Officially Announced

Game Of Thrones: Hand Of The King Marks The Official Return Of Ned Stark Published Sep 5, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Game of Thrones icon Ned Stark, portrayed in the HBO series by the legendary Sean Bean, didn't have a very long appearance on the series after suffering a tragic end thanks to Joffrey's brash decision to have him executed. However, in that short time, he became one of the most beloved characters on the show, setting the example of honor and duty that would continue to define House Stark long after his death. From uncovering the truth about Joffrey's parentage to reluctantly accepting the position of Hand of the King, Ned spent much of the first season caught between doing what was politically necessary and what he believed was right. His execution remains one of Game of Thrones' most shocking and consequential moments, priming viewers for what would become a trend in the series that even seemingly central characters weren't going to be saved by plot armor. Luckily, Ned Stark is officially set to return from the grave in the upcoming release of Hand of the King, marking the character's first appearance since his brutal execution 15 years ago (via GoTL). Hand of the King is an upcoming new Summon event in Game of Thrones: Legends that will give players an opportunity to claim Ned Stark as a Legendary Champion using exalted tokens. The Summon runs from September 23 to October 21 and features several Stark legends, including Ned, Sansa, Arya, Robb, Catelyn, and Jon Snow as King in the North. Legendary Champions are the rarest Champion characters in Game of Thrones: Legends, with unique Skills and Traits that players can build teams around. Rather than unlocking these characters outright through Summons, players generally pull Champion Shards, gradually collecting enough to unlock and upgrade the featured heroes. Summons function as Legends' gacha-style recruitment system, with different limited-time banners offering increased access to particular Legendary characters. Hand of the King specifically requires Exalted Tokens, a premium Summoning currency introduced earlier this year for newer Champion releases. They can be earned through Exalted Token Material Trials, Proving Grounds, and Goldroad rewards, while players can also spend Gold on Exalted banners. These Summons have twice the probability of dropping Legendary Shards compared with the older release, Splendid Summons. September is packed with other content in Game of Thrones: Legends as well, including Battle of the Bastards running from September 3–7, House of the Dragon running from September 9–14, The Lady of Bear Island from September 9–October 7, the Battle of Blackwater Bay from September 17–21, and Assault on Rook's Rest from September 24–28. If you're a longtime fan of Game of Thrones looking for more content from across the franchise, don't let Game of Thrones: Legends mobile-oriented gameplay deter you. It comes highly recommended among players and ranks among the most downloaded games on the App Store and Google Play, and it's entirely free to check out.