Game Of Thrones’ Long-Awaited Winds Of Winter Release Leak Gets Immediate Response From George R.R. Martin’s Publisher

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Rumors about a possible release date for The Winds of Winter recently surfaced, but George R.R. Martin’s publisher quickly dismissed them, dampening excitement for the highly anticipated book.

It’s been fifteen years since the last book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series came out. This weekend, excitement spread online when a rumored release date for The Winds of Winter—the sixth book—began circulating, suggesting it might be published later this year. Fans had hoped the long wait was finally over.

To address the recent rumors, George R.R. Martin’s U.S. publisher has confirmed they are untrue. A representative from Bantam Books told Entertainment Weekly that the claims of a leak circulating online are false.

I saw this crazy rumor going around on X – someone posted a screenshot claiming George R.R. Martin is actually planning to release The Winds of Winter later this year! Apparently, there’s supposed to be an official announcement coming soon. Honestly, a lot of fans are skeptical, and I was too at first, but it’s gotten a lot of attention because some news sites are reporting on it. It’s definitely got people talking, and I’m hoping, just hoping, there might be something to it!

As a huge fan, I’m always checking for news on The Winds of Winter. George R.R. Martin last gave an update back in January. He said that if he could just get some other projects out of the way, he might be able to finish it fairly quickly. He’s stressed that it is a priority, but he also admitted he needs to be in the right headspace to actually write it, and that doesn’t always happen.

Martin repeated that he plans to finish the series himself and really doesn’t want another author to take over. He also considered how his planned ending for A Song of Ice and Fire might be different from the ending of the Game of Thrones TV show.

I believe I could make good progress on The Winds of Winter if I could just handle some other commitments. Everyone’s told me finishing Winds is the most important thing, but honestly, sometimes I just don’t feel like working on it.

I originally had much darker plans for the ending! I was thinking of upping the body count, but the showrunners went with a more optimistic approach, which is fine, I guess. But I still feel like Tyrion’s story is destined for tragedy – it’s been that way from the start. I even considered killing off Sansa, but honestly, the actress has been so great, I’m starting to think I’ll let her live. She’s really won me over!

At New York Comic Con 2025, Martin shared an update on The Winds of Winter, stating he isn’t worried about missing publication dates.

I’m aware people are concerned about the delay with Winds of Winter. I’ve always struggled to meet deadlines, and I really don’t like the idea of breaking agreements or failing to deliver on time.

The world of Game of Thrones is expanding on HBO with two new series. Season 3 of House of the Dragon will arrive this summer, with a fourth and final season planned for 2028. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is also getting a second season, currently in production and expected to premiere in 2027. Author George R.R. Martin is a creator and executive producer for both shows.

As fans often point out, Martin is still working on many projects besides The Winds of Winter. One of these is a new stage play called Game of Thrones: The Mad King, which will debut at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre this summer.

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2026-04-14 03:41