Baldur's Gate 3 TV series ordered at HBO, showrunner reaches out to Larian for thoughts

HBO has ordered a new TV series based on Baldur's Gate 3, and while the developers Larian aren't directly involved in the show's production, showrunner Craig Mazin has reached out to the studio for feedback.

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Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the best-selling RPGs of all time, amassing tons of game of the year awards and solidifying itself as a permanent fixture in gaming. Hasbro, the owners of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, is eager to grow this success with new transmedia adaptations--including a new fantasy drama TV show for HBO.

The show is titled simply Baldur's Gate, and will be a direct continuation from the events of the third game. Craig Mazin, who led The Last of Us' adaptation for the network, will also lead production on the series. The developers who crafted Baldur's Gate 3's storyline and gameplay, Belgium studio Larian, won't be helping with the new Baldur's Gate TV adaptation. That team is busy working on their next big game, Divinity.

This has some worried that the show may not live up to the writing that the game is known for, particularly the irreverent, often-shocking comedic elements. Shortly after the series was announced, Larian publishing director Michael Douse shared a number of posts praising Baldur's Gate 3's writers, and popular perception aligns with Douse's assertions.

Larian Studio's CEO Swen Vincke also confirmed that Mazin has reached out to get feedback from Larian. Vincke also said that Baldur's Gate 3 was always designed to be continued in some way, whether it be more games or adaptations like the show.

"Crazy that a story that started out in a small hotel conference room eventually evolved into a narrative inspiring enough for it to become a HBO series.

"We worked incredibly hard on making Baldur's Gate 3 worthy of its legacy. Its characters and narratives are the result of many teams working together and I think I can speak for them all in saying that they'll think this is cool and hope that what comes next will enjoy the same level of passion.

"The endings of BG3 were created so they could serve as narrative soil for new adventures. There's plenty of directions they could go. I'm eager to find out which ones Craig and his team will pick. He's reached out for a chat so we'll have the opportunity to tell him our thoughts."