HBO is bringing the world of Baldur’s Gate to television, announcing that Craig Mazin — the showrunner behind the network’s critically acclaimed The Last of Us adaptation — will write, executive produce, and lead a new drama series based on Larian Studios’ award-winning RPG. Rather than retelling the story of Baldur’s Gate 3, the show will pick up immediately after the game’s events, following both familiar and brand-new characters as they navigate the fallout of the game’s world-altering conclusion, according to reports from IGN and Eurogamer.
Mazin is no casual observer of the source material. The showrunner says he has logged nearly 1,000 hours in Baldur’s Gate 3 and described the opportunity as a dream come true. He praised Larian founder Swen Vincke and the development team for their brilliant adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons, and expressed his commitment to treating the property with deep respect. HBO drama chief Francesca Orsi echoed that enthusiasm, citing Mazin’s passion for the source material and his proven ability to build immersive worlds on screen.
One of the most intriguing challenges facing the production is the question of canon. Baldur’s Gate 3 is famously open-ended, with dramatically different conclusions depending on player choices. The show will need to settle on a definitive version of events to build its narrative foundation, a decision that is sure to spark spirited debate among the game’s massive fanbase. Mazin has also indicated he plans to reach out to the game’s voice cast to explore whether any of them might want to reprise their roles in live action, as Rock Paper Shotgun reported.
Notably, Larian Studios will not be directly involved in the production. The developer wrapped up its work on Baldur’s Gate 3 last year and has since moved on to new projects outside the D&D universe, including a return to its original Divinity franchise. Vincke confirmed that no Larian writers are consulting on the series to his knowledge, though he struck an optimistic tone, noting that Mazin had reached out to visit the studio for a conversation. Executive producers from Hasbro and its subsidiary Wizards of the Coast, which own the Baldur’s Gate intellectual property, will oversee the project instead.
Vincke offered a gracious public response to the announcement, writing that the endings of Baldur’s Gate 3 were deliberately crafted to serve as “narrative soil for new adventures” and that the team is eager to see which direction Mazin chooses. Larian’s director of publishing, Michael Douse, also weighed in with a personal reflection on the years he spent alongside the game’s writers and creators, underscoring the emotional weight the property carries for those who built it.
There is no confirmed timeline for the series yet, particularly since Mazin remains committed to finishing HBO’s The Last of Us, which is currently gearing up for a third — and potentially final — season. Still, with a proven showrunner at the helm and one of the most beloved RPGs of the decade as its foundation, the Baldur’s Gate adaptation is already shaping up to be one of the most closely watched projects in the growing wave of video game-to-television ventures.