Baldur's Gate 3 TV Show WITHOUT Larian?! Fans Furious! What Happens Next?!

Another day, another beloved video game property making the leap to the small screen. This time, it's the critically acclaimed "Baldur's Gate 3," and the news has landed with a resounding thud – a complex mix of excitement, apprehension, and outright skepticism. Dungeons & Dragons overlords, Wizards of the Coast, revealed that Craig Mazin, the name behind HBO's somewhat controversial "The Last of Us" adaptation, is set to helm a series that will apparently continue the story of Larian's epic RPG.

Baldur's Gate 3 TV Show WITHOUT Larian?! Fans Furi...

Given just how deeply fans have connected with "Baldur's Gate 3," and how personalized each playthrough tends to be, it's no surprise that the announcement has stirred up a hornet's nest of opinions. We've certainly been debating it here at Eurogamer HQ, which brings us to this week's "The Big Question": Is a Baldur's Gate 3 TV show a good idea, and does it even matter that Larian isn't really involved?

Mazin's resume is, admittedly, impressive. He earned widespread praise for his Emmy-winning work on HBO's "Chernobyl" miniseries. That pedigree gave "The Last of Us" fans a degree of comfort when he took the reins of that adaptation. Season one was a hit, no doubt. However, Season 2 has been more divisive, and the original four-season plan now seems to be shrinking to three. This context inevitably casts a shadow over his involvement with "Baldur's Gate." The fact that Larian Studios will only have a preliminary "chat" with Mazin is adding fuel to the fire. It feels a bit like the studio isn't really getting a seat at the table.

The concerns are legitimate. As Eurogamer's Connor Makar put it: "The problem with the HBO show is that... it can't help but annoy huge swathes of fans who envisioned the future differently – the fans who made other choices and won't recognize HBO's 'Baldur's Gate' as their own." He worries about the inevitable canonization of a single path through a game that prides itself on player agency. And I get it. The beauty of "Baldur's Gate 3" is that *your* story matters.

However, a more optimistic voice comes from Eurogamer's Victoria Kennedy. "Even so, I don't think you can deny Mazin's talent. And as someone who... thought his work adapting 'The Last of Us' was exemplary... I guess I'm hopeful he'll do the same for 'Baldur's Gate 3,' and treat the game fans love with respect and authenticity." She acknowledges the Larian absence is a shame, but also points out that "Druckmann wasn't part of 'Chernobyl,' and I think that's one of the greatest TV shows this side of the millennium." It's a fair point. Maybe Mazin *can* pull this off, even without Larian holding his hand.

Despite the skepticism, I find myself cautiously optimistic, as Bertie Purcell put it. A well-executed "Baldur's Gate 3" series could be amazing. But a poorly executed one? Well, let's just say the internet will not be kind.