A Song of Ice and Fire publisher Bantam Books has stepped in to debunk claims that George R.R. Martin was ready to release the long-awaited The Winds of Winter.
Game of Thrones readers sounded the alarm over the weekend after an anonymous post teased that the author was prepared to reveal more information about the book after years of little progress. The message stated that Martin had submitted a manuscript in January, with plans to announce it at San Diego Comic-Con before releasing it to the public in the fall.
Nearly every announcement about the book series that spawned Game of Thrones has led fans to believe Martin would continue taking his sweet time publishing anything official. So, when the rumored details about The Winds of Winter included that it was “long long” and came with a marketing campaign involving HBO, fans immediately took to social media to express their excitement – and their suspicions.
“This is the fakest thing I’ve ever seen but my soul needs it so I’m all in,” one fan said at the time.
Bantam Books confirmed that rumors circling the internet were indeed based on fake information in a statement sent to Entertainment Weekly today. It’s news that may not surprise most fans of Martin’s work, but it’s an announcement that will probably disappoint all the same.
“The online chatter you are seeing regarding a supposed leak is false,” a representative for the publisher told the site.
Readers aren’t the only ones upset The Winds of Winter isn’t finished; Martin has spent years mad at himself, too. Recent updates on the matter have seen the acclaimed fantasy author addressing complaints from those he felt had “given up” on him. In October of last year, he confirmed that he still intends to finish the long-awaited novel. However, if he’s unable to tie a bow on A Song of Ice and Fire before his death, don’t expect to see someone else pick up his pen.
While everyone continues to wait, you can catch up on everything we know about the next Game of Thrones book. You can also learn more about how to read every book in the series in order.
Photo by Gerald Matzka/Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
