Shortly following what many True Blood fans believe to be the most rewarding flashiest season finale of the show ever, HBO has announced that the vamp soap opera will be coming to an end next year, marking its seventh season.

HBO's president of programming Michael Lombardo released a statement concerning the announcement: "True Blood has been nothing short of a defining show for HBO. Alan Ball took the books by Charlaine Harris, assembled a brilliant cast led by the magnificent Anna Paquin in the role of Sookie Stackhouse, and crafted a show that has taken its many devoted fans on an unforgettable journey. Alan passed the baton to Brian Buckner, who led our fantastic writers and crew in crafting a spectacular sixth season, and he will lead us through the seventh and final season of this amazing show. Together with its legions of fans, it will be hard to say goodbye to the residents of Bon Temps, but I look forward to what promises to be a fantastic final chapter of this incredible show."

Current showrunner Brian Buckner also had a few words to say about the popular HBO series: "I feel enormously proud to have been a part of the True Blood family since the very beginning. I guarantee that there’s not a more talented or harder-working cast and crew out there, and I’d like to extend a personal heartfelt thanks to them for their dedication and tenacity over the years, especially this past year, as I stepped into a larger role. Thank you also to HBO for their unwavering support and of course to Alan Ball, whose genius enabled all of us to share in this incredible journey. Finally, a huge thank you to the most passionate fans in television. As we take a final walk through Bon Temps together, we will do our very best to bring Sookie’s story to a close with heart, imagination and, of course, fun"

There is a bright side to this: the definitive end of Billith's reign.

True Blood's final season is set to air in summer 2014.