Overview
- Bantam Books told Entertainment Weekly that online claims of a leaked plan to publish The Winds of Winter are false.
- The rumor had alleged George R.R. Martin finished the manuscript in late 2025 and that the publisher was targeting a fall 2026 launch.
- Martin said in a January interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the book was not finished and that his progress varies with his focus and mood.
- Fans’ hopes rose after a widely shared post online, including a screenshot on X, but the publisher’s denial undercuts expectations for this year.
- The last main book in A Song of Ice and Fire came out in 2011, and any real release plan would typically come through formal publisher announcements.