Game of Thrones author George RR Martin has publicly disclosed that his working relationship with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has deteriorated to an "abysmal" state, leaving the pair no longer on speaking terms.
The Breakdown of a Creative Partnership
In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on 16 January 2026, the bestselling fantasy novelist painted a bleak picture of the collaboration's collapse. Martin, who initially hired Condal and viewed him as a partner, said the process worked well throughout the show's first season. "I would read early drafts of the scripts. I would give notes. He would change some things. It was working really well – I thought," Martin recalled.
The situation reportedly began to unravel after co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik's departure following season one. Martin backed Condal during that disagreement, but by the production of season two, the dynamic had shifted dramatically. "[Condal] basically stopped listening to me," Martin claimed, stating his notes were frequently ignored or met with empty promises.
From Notes to No Communication
The rift widened to the point where HBO intervened. Martin was instructed to submit all his feedback directly to the network, which would then combine it with their own notes before passing them to Condal. This formalised the breakdown in direct communication between the creator and the showrunner.
This is not the first time Martin has voiced his discontent. In September 2024, he published a since-deleted blog post criticising adaptation choices as "toxic butterflies" and agreed with fan criticism that a key death scene in the season two premiere was "underwhelming" and "watered down". While Martin admitted 80% of that post was praise, the negative excerpts drew significant attention and were labelled "unprofessional" by some fans.
In response at the time, Ryan Condal told Entertainment Weekly he found the post "disappointing". He defended his creative decisions, stating that TV adaptation requires "a lot of invention" and that he had made "every effort to include George". Condal suggested Martin had become "unwilling to acknowledge the practical issues at hand in a reasonable way".
Moving Forward Amidst the Discord
Despite the very public schism, both sides acknowledge the show must go on. Condal expressed hope that he and Martin could "rediscover that harmony someday," while vowing to keep "marching forward for the sake of the crew, the cast and for HBO".
HBO released a statement reaffirming their support for Condal's team, calling them "few greater fans" of Martin's source material, Fire & Blood. The network emphasised that showrunners must always make "difficult choices" when adapting books for television and believe the series will continue to be enjoyed by its millions of fans.
The award-winning prequel, starring Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, and Olivia Cooke, is still set to return for its third season this summer, even as its foundational creative relationship lies in ruins.
