HBO has announced a live-action series based on the acclaimed role-playing game Baldur's Gate 3, but the opinion piece argues the project is already off to a troubled start. The concern matters because Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the most celebrated games of recent years, and fans worry that the chosen approach — along with questions over who is and isn't attached to the production — risks squandering a much-loved property.

The central problem, the writer contends, is that the show is being developed as a sequel to the game rather than a retelling of it. Because Baldur's Gate 3 is built on Dungeons & Dragons mechanics, its branching choices mean no two playthroughs are alike: players can be good or evil and shape their companions and abilities freely, making it hard to condense into a single linear narrative. The article contrasts this with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which succeeded by telling an original story set in the D&D world rather than adapting a game with thousands of possible outcomes.