Baldur’s Gate 3 is getting an HBO TV series from The Last of Us creator

Thanks to Deadline, we know HBO is doubling down on video game adaptations, with The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin officially signing on to turn Baldur’s Gate 3 into a brand-new TV series.

But unlike The Last of Us, which largely retold the events of the PlayStation games, this one is going in a different direction. The Baldur’s Gate show will act as a direct continuation of the hit RPG, picking up after the events of the third game and exploring what happens next in its sprawling Dungeons & Dragons universe.

Mazin is attached to create, write, executive produce and showrun the project, with Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor and Hasbro Entertainment’s Gabriel Marano also serving as executive producers. Longtime Dungeons & Dragons storyteller Chris Perkins is coming in as a consultant.

If HBO landing Baldur’s Gate feels like a safe bet, that’s because it sort of is. Baldur’s Gate 3 wasn’t just successful; it was an absolute monster. The Larian Studios RPG cleaned up at awards shows, hoovered up Game of the Year trophies and quickly cemented itself as one of the most beloved role-playing games ever made. Turning it into prestige TV was seemingly only ever a matter of time.

Crucially, Mazin isn’t just parachuting in for the gig. He’s a fully paid-up fan. The writer has reportedly sunk close to 1,000 hours into Baldur’s Gate 3, completed it on its notoriously brutal Honour Mode and has been running Dungeons & Dragons campaigns as a Dungeon Master for more than 15 years.

Craig Mazin Has A Lot Of Love For Baldur's Gate And Is A Big Fan of GTA IV's Niko Bellic | BAFTA - YouTube

Watch On

“After putting nearly 1000 hours into the incredible world of Baldur’s Gate 3, it is a dream come true to be able to continue the story,” Mazin said, adding that he wants to bring the game’s characters to screen “with as much respect and love as we can”.

The sequel-style approach also neatly sidesteps one of the biggest headaches of adapting Baldur’s Gate 3. The game is famous for letting players carve wildly different paths through its story, with major characters living or dying depending on the decisions you make. Rather than picking one “official” version of events and annoying half the fanbase, the TV series will explore the aftermath, introducing new heroes while allowing familiar faces from the game to drift in and out of the story.

There’s no official release window yet, and given the scale of the project, it’s likely to be a long-term play for HBO. It also looks increasingly likely that The Last of Us will wrap with its upcoming third season, clearing the runway for Mazin’s next big fantasy swing.

Either way, HBO clearly isn’t done rolling the dice on video game adaptations, and if Baldur’s Gate lands anything like The Last of Us or Chernobyl, it could be another nat 20.

• Texas Chainsaw Massacre TV series in the works at A24 with Glen Powell producing

Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!