HBO's new fantasy series Baldur's Gate is about to show Game of Thrones how it's done

Let’s be honest, Game of Thrones changed telly forever – but if you’re still sore about that finale (join the club), HBO’s next leap into fantasy might just be the thing to ease the pain. We're talking something that could actually go toe-to-toe with Westeros: the newly announced Baldur's Gate series, from the bloke behind Chernobyl and The Last of Us, Craig Mazin.

Baldur's Gate: Fresh Blood for High Fantasy TV

HBO's stepping out of George R.R. Martin's shadow and putting its chips on a proper Dungeons & Dragons adventure. This isn’t another prequel or a safe spin-off; it’s a direct continuation of Baldur's Gate 3 – the RPG that took over basically every gamer’s life in 2023. Mazin’s at the helm, not just writing but running the whole circus, so expectations are, quite frankly, enormous.

Here’s what we know so far: rather than just translating the game scene-for-scene (looking at you, The Last of Us), the series is taking the lore and running with it. That means you’ll see the crew you know – Shadowheart, Gale, Astarion, and the like – but also some new faces. It kicks off right after the events of the last game and promises a load more story you won’t find in the original.

The basic setup? A party of elves, wizards, warlocks – and yes, vampires – who got infected by mind flayers: properly grim aliens who live on brains and communicate through a sort of hive consciousness. The body horror here is a cut above your average sword-and-sorcery; think less Tolkien, more Cronenberg. Wormy parasites burrowing into your skull, anyone? So, probably not ideal viewing if you’re having dinner.

But it’s not just tentacles and trauma. Baldur’s Gate, the city itself, is practically a character – full of strange architecture, sprawling taverns, and the sort of magic that actually obeys rules (fans will know all about Metamagic, Twinned spells, and Quickens). It’s busy, weird, and not afraid to get a bit nasty.

More Than Just Another Thrones – And Yes, It Gets Weirder

Now, if you thought Game of Thrones pushed boundaries, Baldur's Gate has a few tricks up its sleeve. For one, the show is promising an even juicier mix of politics, violence, and bedroom tomfoolery. The game’s famous for its wild romance options – including, thanks to one particularly unlucky druid, a love scene that involves someone turning into a bear at the crucial moment. (Yes, you read that right. Not exactly your run-of-the-mill fantasy love triangle.) For the record, Thrones only ever joked about animal encounters – Baldur’s Gate might just go there.

The political wrangling is just as intense as anything in King’s Landing. Factional plots, power struggles for the crooked Parliament of Peers, and the Council of Four all vying for control over the Grand Duchy. It sounds convoluted, but it’s promising that dense, back-stabby drama that Thrones fans crave – maybe with even more chaos thrown in.

• Where it continues from: Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023 RPG monster hit)
• Returning characters: Shadowheart, Gale, Astarion, and a batch of new misfits
• Plot flavour: Sword-and-sorcery, Lovecraftian horror, heavy politics, questionable romance
• Major difference: This is a fresh story – not just a retread – expanding the original game’s universe
• What could set it apart: Mazin’s record for character-driven story (see: Chernobyl) and HBO’s willingness to go all-in on the weirder, gorier, or more shocking bits of the genre

Learning From Thrones' Big Mistake

Crucially, the creative team is in a unique spot. Game of Thrones lost its way when it spun away from the source books – no plot left to adapt, and that infamous ending tried to tie up seven seasons’ worth of nerves in one rushed bow. Baldur’s Gate, meanwhile, can build away from the games without needing to please an army of book readers. More wiggle room might mean a proper, well-built conclusion, rather than a last-minute scramble.

As Mazin put it:

'We're playing in the sandbox, not just rebuilding the same castle.'

Expect a series that’s not shy about twisting the genre, smudging the lines between horror, fantasy, and comedy, and generally taking the sort of risks that made Thrones a phenomenon in the first place. Whether it can capture lightning in a bottle twice is another matter – but at least someone's having a proper go.