Larian Studios’ acclaimed RPG Baldur’s Gate 3 is finally getting a major sequel. The only catch is, it’s in the form of a TV series adaptation, currently in development at HBO.
The news arrives courtesy of Deadline, which reported the studio is officially working alongside Hasbro Entertainment to expand the world of the games, in entirely surprising fashion.
The continuation will be helmed by Craig Mazin, co-creator of HBO’s The Last of Us TV adaptation, and will be executive produced by various folks from Hasbro Entertainment and Dungeons & Dragons rights holder, Wizards of the Coast.
Baldur’s Gate 3 TV sequel confirmed – quick links
What we know about HBO’s Baldur’s Gate
As outlined by Deadline, HBO’s Baldur’s Gate will be a direct sequel to the events of Baldur’s Gate 3: ‘The Baldur’s Gate TV series will be a continuation to the games, telling a story that takes place immediately after the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, as the characters – old and new – are dealing with the ramifications of the events in the third game.’
The series will be led by new protagonists, who are ‘not that powerful,’ with events ‘follow[ing] their journey through adventures that make them powerful.’ Along the way, they’ll run into established characters from Baldur’s Gate 3.
That leads to plenty of questions, of course. Will the show be approachable for newcomers? Which established, fan-favourite characters will make it into the adaptation? With so much choice available to players, which story events will be canonised?
Mazin appears well-positioned to answer these questions, at least. In a statement provided to Deadline, he confirmed he’s a big fan of Baldur’s Gate 3, and has put in nearly 1000 hours, including a run on Honor Mode, which amps up the difficulty.
‘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 that Larian and Wizards of The Coast created,’ Mazin said.
‘I am a devoted fan of D&D and the brilliant way that Swen Vincke and his gifted team adapted it. I can’t wait to help bring Baldur’s Gate and all of its incredible characters to life with as much respect and love as we can, and I’m deeply grateful to Gabe Marano and his team at Hasbro for entrusting me with this incredibly important property.’
HBO’s Baldur’s Gate will tell new stories in the franchise’s world
Intriguingly, Deadline‘s report makes note that there’s no ties to another Baldur’s Gate game in development, so Mazin is free to adapt the franchise under Hasbro’s oversight. That appears to be confirmation there will be no Baldur’s Gate 4 at all, and that the TV series will serve as the only formal continuation.
Without those ties, HBO’s Baldur’s Gate will be able to tell ‘different kinds of stories within the sprawling world of the game.’ The series reportedly ‘draws deeply’ from the game source material, and it will ‘begin how the game ends.’ There is also confirmation the series will not draw from the first two Baldur’s Gate games, and they are not considered official source material.
Dungeons & Dragons lore will reportedly be fair game though, with new elements able to adapted under the agreement with Wizards of the Coast. HBO’s Baldur’s Gate will also co-exist alongside a new Forgotten Realms series currently in development, with the two sharing the same campaign setting.
We’ll likely hear much more about this new project in the coming year.
