Just two days after Game of Thrones kicked off its third season to record-breaking ratings, HBO has renewed the acclaimed adaptation of George R.R. Martin's fantasy epic for Season 4.

Sunday's premiere drew 4.4 million viewers, an increase of 4 percent from the previous series high, with the subsequent two encores bringing the total to 6.7 million. up about 7 percent from the Season 2 premiere. That's particularly impressive considering that Game of Thrones faced stiff competition from the season finale of AMC's The Walking Dead, as well as the typical increase in viewership on Easter.

The current 10-episode season is based roughly on the first half of Martin's third novel in the series, A Storm of Swords, with Season 4 completing the book.

Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.