‘False’ Game of Thrones: Winds of Winter release ‘leak’ refuted by publisher

A recent leak had all the Game of Thrones fans excited to the bottom of their hearts. However, as per recent updates, such is not the case. A recent leak and rumor were circulating on the internet about the potential release date of Winds of Winter.

According to an anonymous leaker’s shared screenshot on Twitter, George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice & Fire saga’s sixth installment was rumored to be secretly scheduled for release later this year, and an announcement was anticipated.

However, now, Bantam Books, the U.S. publisher of Martin’s heavily popular book series, has debunked the claims. “The online chatter you are seeing regarding a supposed leak is false,” a representative from Bantam Books told Entertainment Weekly.

It’s been almost 15 years since readers received a new installment as a part of the ongoing story. A Game of Thrones was published in 1996, followed by A Clash of Kings in 1999, A Storm of Swords in 2000, A Feast For Crows in 2005, and A Dance With Dragons in 2011. All were released through publishers Bantam Books (in the U.S. and Canada), while Harper Voyager published the books in the UK. The Winds of Winter was expected to be the sixth installment in the series, and even a seventh book, A Dream of Spring, has also been promised by Martin.

Martin’s work was also adapted into a live-action series by HBO in 2011, which ran for a total of eight seasons and currently ranks among the highest-rated television shows ever.

What is the latest update on George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones: Winds of Winter?

Earlier this year, in Jan. 2026, during an interview with Hollywood Reporter, Martin shared the latest update on Game of Thrones: Winds of Winter. “I do think if I can just get some of these other things off my back, I could finish The Winds of Winter pretty soon,” he said. “It’s been made clear to me that Winds is the priority, but… I don’t know. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for that.

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