San Diego Comic-Con absentees: No ‘Game of Thrones.’ No ‘Westworld.’ No Marvel in Hall H.

Winter is not coming to San Diego Comic-Con this year, after all.

HBO confirmed to media outlets Thursday that it will be skipping this year’s premier comics convention in July, leaving “Game of Thrones” and “Westworld” fans out in the cold for now. The company said it looks forward to returning in the future, however.

This is the first year that “Game of Thrones” will not be at San Diego Comic-Con.

“Due to production schedules and air dates for ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Westworld,’ these series will not be presented at San Diego Comic-Con this summer,” HBO said in a statement to Variety. Kelly Lawler, an entertainment reporter for USA Today, also shared that statement on Twitter.

The stunning news also comes after Marvel had confirmed to Screen Rant that it will be skipping the blockbuster Hall H where major movie or television actors make big announcements in front of hundreds of fans.

Coupled together, the absence of big-name movies and television shows and their A-list actors will likely be felt at the San Diego Convention Center where thousands of fans descend in anticipation to hear or see the latest super-hero release.

On social media, the news of this year’s biggest absences has left many people devastated and disappointed.

Many have tried to fill the vacuum with questions wanting to more about why so many big studios are skipping out of the limelight. Others have wondered whether the convention is losing its draw power that it once had.

And yet, others are keeping their hopes (and eyes peeled) to see if these absences will leave an open door for DC to make a big splash with its own projects.

HBO wasn’t the only major studio to skip out of Comic-Con this year either. The cable network Starz also said it was skipping the convention in San Diego in favor of going to the one in New York, The Hollywood Reporter said.

What do you think about this year’s Comic-Con absences? Would you be less likely to go to Comic-Con without Marvel in Hall H or “Westworld” or “Game of Thrones” out of the convention? Would you sell your tickets?