Brandon Sanderson recently signaled that a Mistborn video game is in the earliest stages of deveolpment.. During his December 2025 update, the author invited AAA and indie developers to collaborate while he works to separate gaming rights from film rights.
The six-year overlap of Mistborn film and gaming rights
According to the report, Brandon Sanderson is currently navigating a complex legal landscape to ensure he maintains greater control over the interactive version of his world. The author revealed that for approximately six or seven years, the film rights to the Mistborn series overlapped with the video game rights, creating a bottleneck for development.
By decoupling these rights, Brandon Sanderson aims to market the gaming potential of the Cosmere universe independently. In his December 2025 State of the Sanderson update, he described the current phase of the project as "step one," noting that while conversations with major AAA studios are underway, no formal agreements have been signed.
The 2012 blueprint for Mistborn: Birthright
This current push for a Mistborn title is not the author's first attempt to enter the gaming industry. As the report notes, Brandon Sanderson outlined a project in 2012 titled Mistborn: Birthright, which was envisioned as a role-playing action game where the author would personally handle the story and dialogue.
The failure of Mistborn: Birthright to move beyond the planning stage reflects a broader challenge in the industry: translating "hard magic" systems—where powers have strict, logical rules—into balanced gameplay. For fans of the Cosmere, the appeal lies in the predictability and limitation of powers like Allomancy, a challenge that often requires a highly specialized development approach rather than a generic RPG templte.
How Warframe and Path of Exile mirror Allomancy
While a formal Mistborn game remains distant, several existing titles demonstrate how the Cosmere's rule-driven magic can function in a digital environment. Warframe, developed by Digital Extremes and launched in March 2013, utilizes biomechanical suits with distinct abilities that echo the structured nature of Allomancy and Feruchemy.
Similarly, Path of Exile, released in 2013 by Grinding Gear Games, offers an extensive skill tree and item-drop ecosystem that rewards the kind of experimentation and systemic mastery found in Brandon Sanderson's writing. Even the more recent Where Winds Meet, released by Everstone Studio in November 2025, emphasizes the limits and effects of its Mystic Arts system, mirroring the Surgebinding mechanics of the Cosmere.
Which AAA studios are in the December 2025 talks?
Despite the excitement, several critical details remain obscured. The report does not name the specific AAA studios currently in discussions with Brandon Sanderson, leaving it unclear whether the project is leaning toward a cinematic,narrative-heavy experience or a systemic, open-world RPG.
Furthermore, it remains unverified whether the author intends to maintain the same level of narrative control for this project as he did with the failed 2012 Birthright attempt. Because the source only provides Sanderson's perspective, the industry's appetite for a high-concept, rule-heavy fantasy title in the current market remains an open question.
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