'The Winds of Winter' Target Release Dates: George R.R. Martin's Full List of Broken Promises Spanning a Decade

After more than ten years of anticipation, author George RR Martin still has no confirmed release date for The Winds of Winter, the long-delayed sixth book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Despite repeatedly assuring readers that the manuscript was nearly complete, the author has missed every deadline he publicly set, creating one of modern literature's most infamous cases of creative delay.

A Decade of Missed Promises

Martin first hinted at a timeline for The Winds of Winter in April 2011, telling The Guardian that he hoped to finish the book within three years, sometime around 2014.

By October 2012, he reiterated that 2014 was 'possible' but admitted he was 'lousy' at predicting his own pace.

The same optimism resurfaced in 2015, when Martin told fans he was aiming for a 2016 release to coincide with HBO's Game of Thrones, according to FandomWire.

In January 2016, the author revealed in a blog post that he had missed yet another editorial deadline, stating that The Winds of Winter would not be released before Game of Thrones Season 6 premiered.

A year later, in 2017, Martin suggested the novel might finally be released 'this year,' but that too came and went with no book in sight.

By 2024, he had stopped offering firm targets altogether, saying in a blog entry that he would only announce a release when the manuscript was finished, The Independent reported.

Martin has occasionally provided progress updates. In October 2022, he told fans that the manuscript was about 'three-quarters done,' estimating between 1,100 and 1,200 completed pages, with several hundred more to go.

But a year later, he admitted little had changed, confessing he was still 'struggling' with revisions.

Progress Updates and Setbacks

As of October 2025, there is still no release date. In a recent interview, Martin confirmed that he is simultaneously working on a Dunk & Egg spinoff story, despite earlier saying he would focus solely on The Winds of Winter until it was complete.

In April 2025, he admitted the book's delay had become 'the curse of my life,' acknowledging it is now 13 years behind schedule. He blamed his many side projects, ranging from television productions to managing his bookstore, for slowing progress, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Later that year, Martin suggested the delay was also tied to broader frustrations over artificial intelligence, saying his ongoing legal battles with OpenAI had sapped time and energy from his writing.

Still, fans remain hopeful that his upcoming appearance at New York Comic Con 2025 might include an update.

GamesRadar noted that the event could serve as a platform for new details about the long-awaited release.

Why the Delay Persists

Observers point to Martin's creative style as a key factor. The author describes himself as a 'gardener' rather than an 'architect', meaning he constantly rewrites and reshapes chapters rather than adhering to a fixed outline.

He is also juggling numerous other projects, including work on House of the Dragon and various adaptations under HBO.

In 2025, he joined an animated project based on A Dozen Tough Jobs, which further divided his time, according to People.

Martin has said in multiple blog updates that The Winds of Winter could exceed 1,500 pages, a figure also cited in the Wikipedia summary of the novel's development, which compiles his own statements and media interviews.

The Waiting Game Continues

As of October 2025, there is no confirmed release date. Some fans hope Martin will reveal fresh details during his scheduled appearance at New York Comic Con 2025.

Thirteen years after readers first expected it, The Winds of Winter remains unfinished, unannounced, and uncertain. For fans of Westeros, winter still hasn't come—and patience is running thin.