HBO renews Succession for a fourth season – but will it be the show's last?

Succession season 3
(Image credit: HBO)

It’s official: Succession is returning for a fourth season on HBO.

Executive Vice President of the studio, Francesca Orsi, confirmed the renewal of the Emmy Award-winning TV series, which follows the twisted relations of the influential Roy family, in a recent press release.

The news comes shortly after Succession season 3 kicked off on October 17, with new episodes continuing to air every Sunday until December 5. 

Created by Jesse Armstrong, Succession has proven a bankable hit for HBO, with 1.4 million viewers tuning into its season 3 premiere alone. That figure marked not only a 21% increase over the viewership of its season 2 finale, but the best premiere night of any HBO Original series since the launch of HBO Max

But why is Succession continuing to prove so popular with audiences? For starters, it smartly combines the urban appeal of Suits or Billions with the Shakespearean political drama of Game of Thrones, and is anchored by a stellar cast that includes Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin.

Each new season has improved on the last, too, with the show’s sophomore outing raking in seven Emmys and its third gaining yet more critical acclaim. Season 4 looks set to continue that trend.

“With each season of Succession, Jesse Armstrong has continued to surpass our wildest expectations, pulling us deeper into the Roy family’s inner sanctum with indelible wit, humanity, and precision,” studio boss Orsi said in a press release.

“This season [3] is undoubtedly no exception, and we couldn’t be more excited for all that’s in store in this next season ahead.”

We’ve got no release date for Succession season 4 just yet, but with season 3 not set to conclude until December this year, we expect to be waiting until at least the back-end of 2022.


Will Succession season 4 be the show's last?

As for whether season 4 will be the show’s last, we’re refreshingly confident that it won’t be. 

Though HBO itself didn’t allude to further seasons in its recent press release, several interviews with cast and crew have put our minds at ease. 

Series mainstay Brian Cox, for instance – who plays family boss Logan Roy in Succession – told GQ that he expects “possibly two more series, and then I think we're done.”

Series creator Armstrong shares the enthusiasm of his leading man, though recently admitted that he wants the show to come to a definitive end. “There's going to be a very definite moment when that story is over, and it can't go on too long,“ he told The New Statesman

It seems likely, then, that we’ll be treated to a fifth season of Succession after seasons 3 and 4 – which gives plenty of time for Logan to finally appoint a successor to his media empire.

Axel Metz
Phones Editor

Axel is TechRadar's UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site's Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion.  Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.