It was not too long ago revealed that a live-action adaptation of Larian’s award-winning RPG, Baldur’s Gate 3, is on the best way from status TV makers HBO. It considerably is smart at first look — you’ll be able to see the Sport of Thrones of all of it weaving into Baldur’s Gate’s DNA, which itself isn’t shy of a honest serving to of shedding each blood and garments. However look a little nearer, and the concerns start. Not essentially when contemplating Craig Mazin’s involvement (we’ll get to that later) however when noticing that, apparently, Larian will play no important function within the present’s growth. A call I can’t assist however really feel could be a massive mistake.
Earlier than we get into why Larian is so important to a present that dares to proceed the story of Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s necessary to ascertain that the Belgian online game studio doesn’t personal the rights to the sport’s universe, characters, or storylines. Baldur’s Gate 3 is about on the earth of Dungeons & Dragons, and so is the mental property of Wizards of the Coast, the Hasbro-owned tabletop RPG firm. Larian’s partnership with Hasbro is over, and so Wizards can do no matter it needs with the likes of Shadowheart, Astarion, Gale, and firm – whether or not that’s one other sport or, on this case, a TV present. Larian has no authorized proper to be concerned. However that’s to not say its involvement doesn’t make sense, each when it comes to easy respect for the studio’s work, and taking advantage of its unrivalled, in depth data of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Following the present’s announcement, Larian’s director of publishing, Michael Douse, posted his ideas on X. “I’ve spent the final 8 to 10 years of my life with the writers & creators of Baldur’s Gate 3, and so they’re probably the most unbelievable storytellers & creators within the house,” he stated. “Solely hope is that they get each the credit score deserved & the characters are represented on the similar stage as the sport”.
As you’d anticipate, followers instantly took to social media to query members of Larian concerning the challenge. When requested if any of the sport’s writers l could be concerned within the present, Baldur’s Gate 3’s director and CEO of Larian Studios, Swen Vincke, confirmed that they’re not.
To not my data. However Craig did attain out to ask if he might come over to the studio to talk with us. From the dialog we had, I believe he truely is a massive fan which supplies me hope.
— Swen Vincke @the place? (@LarAtLarian) February 6, 2026
“To not my data,” he stated. “However Craig [Mazin] did attain out to ask if he might come over to the studio to talk with us. From the dialog we had, I believe he truely [sic] is a massive fan which supplies me hope”.
Whereas it appears nobody from Larian, at the very least at this stage, shall be concerned within the manufacturing course of, it’s encouraging to see that Mazin will seek the advice of with the studio. However is that this actually sufficient? That is a studio that reignited a world, turned a cult-classic CRPG collection into one among gaming’s nice phenomena, and I can’t assist however really feel that a little greater than a handful of studio visits could also be required for the present to make anyplace close to as massive a footprint on our tradition. We do know that, in keeping with the unique report on the present’s announcement by Deadline, Mazin needs to succeed in out to the sport’s beloved forged to sound out how finest to strategy their roles within the TV present, and in the event that they’d wish to be concerned. That is one other good step in the direction of recapturing the magic of the sport, however it is going to be attention-grabbing to see how these actors react to being requested to talk another person’s phrases – and their emotions on the very actual potential of their starring roles being given to extra prolific TV and movie actors.
“I genuinely do not suppose anybody can trump our writers”, Douse goes on so as to add. It’s a sentiment I agree with; nobody is aware of these characters or that individual nook of Wizards of the Coast’s world fairly just like the narrative crew at Larian. However, I additionally don’t suppose the sport’s writers completely should be a part of the present’s writers room — crafting tales for video video games and tv are fully completely different arts, in spite of everything. I do, nevertheless, suppose that the present might do with a regular hand with first-hand expertise of the tales Larian instructed to assist steer the ship.
This isn’t to say I’ve no religion in Craig Mazin. Chernobyl is without doubt one of the best items of tv this century, and his contribution to HBO’s interpretation of The Final of Us was actually profitable in its first season, even when the jury is certainly nonetheless out on its way more divisive season two and no matter turns into of its subsequent chapter. However the adaptation of Naughty Canine’s post-apocalyptic story crucially had a robust connection to the video games on the high of its name sheet: Neil Druckmann. Although the co-creator has since left the present to deal with future video games, there’s no denying that his presence on HBO’s The Final of Us helped preserve it tied to the imaginative and prescient and philosophy of the video games.
An identical level will be made concerning the extremely profitable Fallout TV collection on Prime Video. Once more, a identify synonymous with the video games was there to root the present within the very detailed canon of such a distinctive apocalyptic world: Todd Howard. Certainly, Fallout could also be a way more acceptable comparability to what HBO is making an attempt to realize with its Baldur’s Gate present, as Mazin’s challenge shouldn’t be trying to recreate a story one-to-one, however additional constructing out a universe that gamers already love, whereas throwing in acquainted faces and locations alongside the best way. Fallout efficiently manages to inform its personal story, but in addition gleefully expands on and references current lore to nice impact. That’s, presumably, what the Baldur’s Gate present hopes to realize, too.
I don’t suppose there’s a lot doubt that each The Final of Us and Fallout have been two of probably the most profitable makes an attempt at translating a online game world to the small display, so it simply is smart to me to comply with that established blueprint and seek the advice of Larian on what makes its world so particular. I’ve little doubt that Mazin is a large fan, and he can actually write top-tier tv, however in an effort to ensure that this continuation of Baldur’s Gate 3’s story holds the identical magic because the genre-defining RPG does, it will be silly to not contain the Belgian studio not directly. Don’t let the magic these groups concocted over the previous decade disappear into the air – there’s merely no must create all of it from scratch as soon as once more.
“Don’t abandon hope, however do anticipate the world. That’s the job”, are Douse’s closing phrases, at the very least for now, on the announcement. They usually ring true. Larian has set the bar extremely excessive in the case of telling tales on this world, and it will actually be a dangerous cube roll from HBO to proceed with out the modifier of the studio being there to assist information the method.
Time will solely inform, although, on how a lot Larian finally ends up being concerned within the Baldur’s Gate present. However with Mazin nonetheless gearing as much as begin taking pictures the third, and now probably closing, season of The Final of Us, it actually appears we’re a few years away from figuring out how efficiently it would comply with within the footsteps of the sport. For now, I stay in hope. However then once more, I’m considerably of a doomed optimist.
Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can primarily be discovered skulking round open world video games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing on the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Comply with him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.