Game of Thrones season 6: Episode 1 leaks online hours before airing

Message boards became awash with spoilers for the much-anticipated season premiere of the HBO series, mere hours before it was set to air on the network

If there's anything more perilous than Westeros itself, it's the internet during Games of Thrones season; with the jagged edge of spoilers threatening to ruin your week at every corner.

More than a few unlucky fans were caught out when the first episode of season six was leaked online hours before its HBO premiere. Though intended to broadcast simultaneously at 9PM on HBO in the US, and 2AM on Sky Atlantic in the UK on 24 April; threads on Reddit and IMDB reveal (via The Telegraph) that the season premiere was mistakenly made available online, with fans posting a string of spoilers for the episode.

Though initially dismissed as a hoax, the spoilers turned out to be accurate when HBO finally aired the show; though the network was initially targeted for the blame, others have now labeled a Canadian streaming website as responsible for the leak. The threads, including alleged screengrabs featuring French subtitles, have since been taken down.

The leak is likely the first in what will remain a constant battle for fans to remain unspoiled during the new Game of Thrones season; specifically considering the show's narrative has now officially moved beyond the books, meaning absolutely anything could happen in the following weeks.

If you've already seen the episode in question, or are seemingly desperate to spoil the show for yourself, you can read our review of the season premiere here. Elsewhere, Emilia Clarke has spoken about what the future holds for Daenerys Targaryen .

Game of Thrones airs on Sunday nights in the US, at 9PM on HBO; and will be simulcast at 2AM on Sky Atlantic in the UK.