Even if you didn't know that "House of the Dragon" was a prequel series to "Game of Thrones," that opening credit was a pretty clear clue The theme music, a striking cello melody by German composer Ramin Djawadi, is the same as in the original HBO series

"House of the Dragon" is set 200 years before the previous film and focuses on the struggle for the Targaryen succession, with blood literally flowing through a detailed model of King Viserys' old Valyria, showing the various branches of the Targaryen family tree This is important information as the "Dance of the Dragons" civil war between Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma Darcy) and her half-brother Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carey) intensifies in the second season

However, it appears that season 2, which premieres Sunday, June 16 at 9 pm ET on HBO and Max, will feature a new graphic for the opening credits of that "House of Dragons" Instead of blood trickling down onto a stone model, the names of actors, producers, and other staff members will be embroidered throughout the fabric tapestry, displaying the turbulent history of the Targaryen family as blood seeps through the fabric

In an interview with Gizmodo's io9, "HOTD" showrunner Ryan Kondal explained the reason for the new season 2 title credit: "We decided to go with a new main title sequence this year When I saw the Season 1 sequence, I thought it worked really well and was visually dynamic and interesting It was about this generational family lineage, starting with Viserys and continuing through Rainila and Alicent to their children's generation"

However, as Westeros fans became more familiar with the major power players in the show, from Damon (Matt Smith) to Aemon (Euan Mitchell) to Alicent (Olivia Cooke), Kondal and her co-creators felt that fans did not need much reassurance about the old family tree felt it unnecessary to do so

"The family is kind of set [at this point]," Kondal told the outlet I loved the evolving title sequence of Game of Thrones, and I didn't know where to go from there If the first season was about ancestors and lineage, the idea of the second season is about (being part of) this living history, this time period, and a very seismic time period that will continue for decades to come"

"It is such a famous period in history that even the characters in A Song of Ice and Fire think back to the Dance of Dragons, the most brutal and bloody civil war that took place during this time"

The switch in opening credits is far from the only change this season In addition to fewer episodes than Season 1 and a number of both new characters and new dragons, "House of Dragons" also received a long-awaited update regarding the show's lighting after fans lamented the dimness of many scenes from last season Still, before watching "House of Dragons" Season 2, be sure to change the following three TV settings

That way, when the show returns on June 16, you will clearly see all those fiery dragons and family betrayals Tom's Guide will keep you updated on the latest news surrounding "House of the Dragon" Season 2, but in the meantime, you can revisit the first season of "HOTD" with Max's subscription