HBO Max confirmed it is developing a Baldur’s Gate TV show, based on Wizards of the Coast’s long-running video game franchise. Unlike The Last of Us, the new series is planned as a direct continuation of Baldur’s Gate 3, taking place immediately after the video game’s ending.
Craig Mazin takes on Baldur’s Gate
HBO Max tapped The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin to helm the series. Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, and Hasbro Entertainment’s Gabriel Marano also signed on as executive producers. Meanwhile, longtime Wizards of the Coast story lead Chris Perkins joined as a consultant.
Mazin said his personal connection drove the project. After all, he had logged nearly 1K hours in Baldur’s Gate 3 and completed it on Honor Mode, per Deadline.
He also played Dungeons & Dragons weekly as a Dungeon Master for 15 years. Because of that background, he framed the series as a labor of love. Mazin added that he wanted to bring the characters to life "with as much respect and love as we can."
Fans and writers online reacted with skepticism and jokes
Online reactions to the news turned sour almost immediately. Many fans focused on Larian Studios’ lack of involvement, while others criticized Mazin himself. As @tangeriinedreams.bsky.social put it, "Baldur's Gate TV show coming to HBO Max….who else was throwing tomatoes?"
Some criticism came from a labor perspective. Writer @annacwebs.bsky.social posted, "It shouldn’t be lost on us that games being turned into TV is essentially harvesting the stories written by those who don’t have union representation or healthcare."
Others argued the format missed the point. "A Baldur's Gate TV show following a Baldur's Gate narrative is going to be terrible," @hriashia.bsky.social noted, citing the loss of player choice. On X, @SadClownTimes also pointed out, "This is gonna be weird. Canon Tav, potential canon romances, imagine if they kill off a companion or just don't include some. Like this sounds like an awful idea."
Meanwhile, anger toward Mazin surfaced quickly. "Why the [expletive] would you put Craig in charge of this after the ATROCIOUS characterization of Ellie in season 2 of TLOU…" @AlexTownley227 tweeted.
@phaseknight_ wrote unironically, "my mom got hit by a truck today, and this is still the worst part of my day."
Still, not every response was negative. @jonb0i.bsky.social argued that a TV show felt safer than another video game sequel.
@maggieofthetown, however, embraced the chaos, tweeting, "I AM ABOUT TO BECOME SO ANNOYING."
Yet even supportive fans sounded uneasy. As @cinephileswift asked, "Baldur's Gate might get more popular now, but at what cost?"
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