HBO Max is home to many of our nerdy favorites, including It: Welcome to Derry, Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, and, soon, Baldur’s Gate. We learned just days ago that writer/director Craig Mazin will tackle the adaptation, marking his second time adapting a major video game into a live-action series. The show takes place immediately after the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, further expanding the fantastical story. Interestingly enough, Larian, the game’s developer, will seemingly have no involvement in the HBO series. People have been quick to share their thoughts online.
Fans and at Least One Larian Developer Aren’t Happy About This
It’s a little atypical for a video game developer to have zero involvement in the television adaptation of their own game. Still, it’s not surprising, given that Larian ended its partnership with Baldur’s Gate and Dungeons & Dragons owner Wizards of the Coast some time ago. Fans are apprehensive, to say the least. One studio developer even posted a thread saying, “Imma bout to crash out on main.“
To alleviate some of these mixed feelings, BG3 game director Swen Vincke took to X. The Larian Studios exec confirmed that while no Larian developers will be involved in the show’s creative development, Mazin has reached out to them. “From the conversation we had, I think he [Mazin] is a big fan, which gives me hope,” Vincke commented. In a 2025 interview with BAFTA, Mazin did claim that Baldur’s Gate 3 was his favorite game of all time.
Following up on his previous statement, Michael Douse, Larian’s director of publishing more recently shared a more diplomatic statement.
I’ve spent the last 8 to 10 years of my life with the writers & creators of Baldur’s Gate 3, and they’re the most incredible storytellers & creators in the space. Only hope is that they get both the credit deserved & the characters are represented at the same level as the game.
It’s not shocking at all to see the torrent of alarmed reactions over Larian’s lack of attachment to the series. For those who have been fans of the game, one can only hope the live-action adaptation will do it justice. And without Larian manning the reigns, who’s to say, really? That being said, the project does feel pretty safe in Mazin’s hands.
What Will the Baldur’s Gate Series be About?
Baldur’s Gate will pick up immediately after BG3, exploring how “the characters—old and new—are dealing with the ramifications of the events in the third game.” Set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, Baldur’s Gate 3 follows an unlikely group of adventures on a quest to remove their brain worms. The live-action will likely incorporate some new characters and storylines to the original plot. Mazin will create, write, produce, and showrun the series. Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, and Gabriel Marano will executive produce.
Despite some of the reactions over Larian’s absence in the development process, we are still pretty stoked about the series. Shows like The Last of Us and Fallout prove that the video game to live-action television series pipeline can be done really, really well. We’re hoping that’s the case here, too.