The internet's love for Baldur's Gate 3 runs deep, which made the recent bombshell from HBO land with some fans like a critical fail. A new TV series, simply titled Baldur's Gate, will pick up as a sequel right after the events of Larian Studios' masterpiece RPG, featuring familiar characters alongside fresh faces navigating the fallout. Showrunner Craig Mazin, fresh off HBO's The Last of Us and Chernobyl, leads the charge with executive producers from Hasbro Entertainment. Chris Perkins, ex-Head of Story at Wizards of the Coast (D&D's owners), consults to keep things lore-friendly.
Unlike TLOU's faithful retelling of the games, this one's a true sequel: new protagonists start weak, grow through adventures, and cross paths with BG3 icons now wielding godlike power as allies, foes, or devils. Mazin, a self-proclaimed D&D superfan who beat BG3 on Honor Mode, gushed about the opportunity: "After putting nearly 1000 hours into the incredible world of Baldur’s Gate 3, it is a dream come true." He plans to tap the voice cast and has already chatted with Larian CEO Swen Vincke.
Larian's response? A blend of pride and polite apprehension. Vincke called it "crazy" that a tale born in a "small hotel conference room" inspired an HBO hit in an X message. He views BG3's endings as "narrative soil for new adventures" and noted Mazin's outreach: "From the conversation we had, I think he truly is a big fan which gives me hope." Publishing director Michael Douse was blunter at first, retweeting memes before praising the team's "fierce camaraderie" and urging the show to match their "thoroughness."
Some fans crashed out on social media over the announcement, (what else is new?): "My ex broke up with me over text and tbh this is worse," one viral post stated, capturing the betrayal vibe. Their primary issue? BG3's branching paths mean no universal canon. Will Astarion stay a vampire spawn or ascend? Does Karlach engine-explode in Avernus? Shadowheart redeem or stay Shar's puppet? A show picking one invalidates player agency after 100+ hours of choices. Satire for casting choices flew: Chris Pratt rumored for Astarion, Jason Statham as Wulbren Bongle. Contrast Fallout's Amazon hit: Bethesda consulted heavily, set post-games with new characters revisiting spots like New Vegas, avoiding canon clashes. TLOU Season 2 had some fans angry over changes as well.
Casting will be make-or-break. Neil Newbon's Astarion is a key character and one that fans love probably the most; recasting him would make the character feel different for many fans. Will the series be animated instead of live action? Some pitch that it should be animated to preserve vibes and voices. Mazin's cast outreach offers slim optimism, but scrutiny awaits. With the announcement being so recent, that means no release window or visuals, but the project's HBO/Hasbro backing suggests a very large budget. Fans hope Mazin channels TLOU Season 1 magic, but for now, Faerun's TV fate is a mysterious dice roll away. Will it crit with a nat 20 or fumble with a 1? Time will show us the result. Stay tuned for more updates as we get them.