Baldur's Gate 3 creators split on upcoming HBO series

HBO is developing a Baldur's Gate series helmed by Craig Mazin, creator of Chernobyl and The Last of Us adaptation. With Larian Studios decisively moved on from Dungeons & Dragons and the new series likely featuring a whole new adventuring party, questions arise – can this even be called Baldur's Gate? And if so, can HBO and Mazin be trusted to do it justice?

The answers depend on who you ask. Larian CEO Swen Vincke remains optimistic. On social media, he noted that "the endings of BG3 were created so they could serve as narrative soil for new adventures," making a series built on them a logical continuation.

Even more promising, despite Larian having no official involvement with the project, Mazin and his team are keeping in touch with the studio.

Craig did reach out to ask if he could come over to the studio to speak with us. From the conversation we had, I think he truly is a big fan which gives me hope.

However, not everyone at Larian shares this enthusiasm. Michael Douse, the studio's publishing lead and prolific social media user, reacted to news of the series differently:

I've spent the last eight 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... I genuinely don't think anyone can trump our writers.

Douse isn't outright declaring the show will fail, but he's actively retweeting comments from people claiming they won't watch it and reacting to the news with rather dark humor. Still, amid all these emotional reactions, he positions himself somewhere between cautious optimism and full pessimism: "Don't abandon hope, but do expect the world. That's the job."

The fact that Mazin and his team are maintaining contact with Larian provides some reason for optimism. And if the series turns out poorly – fans will always have the game itself.