Game of Thrones season 6 release date: HBO confirms April comeback, and Jon Snow returns

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It's finally real. Everything looks set for Jon Snow's much-debated return to Game of Thrones after the show's official Twitter feed posted a photo of actor Kit Harington in character with a bloodied face. Not supine and glassy-eyed on the snow either.

*UPDATE* HBO has confirmed the release date for season six of Game of Thrones. Click here for full details.

Simply captioned 'April' in a clear reference to the season six air date fans have been waiting for, the picture is dark, moody, and incredibly exciting.

Jon Snow was last seen looking decidedly dead after being stabbed by his own Night's Watch comrades for being a "traitor" during the epic Battle of Hardhome in the season five finale and since then, there has been a ton of hype surrounding what this could mean for the future storyline.

There were rumours abound over whether or not the much-loved character would make a comeback, before Harington was later spotted on set in Northern Ireland in costume, all but confirming that he was still be taking part in the HBO show.

"Let’s just say that Game of Thrones will remain a part of my life for a while, I’ll probably be in my thirties when it’s over," he said in September.

It remains unknown what this news might mean, with some fans suggesting that Snow will be resurrected by Melisandre, but will lose a piece of his soul in the process. It will almost certainly involve magic of some kind, as he was stabbed numerous times by his fellow Night's Watch members.

An exact air date for season six is yet to be revealed but the good news is, you don't need to wait until May as previously thought!