The Mistborn books by Brandon Sanderson are among the most popular fantasy novels of all time, and are featured on pretty much every list alongside giants like The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or The Kingkiller Chronicle. However, there has been a lack of adaptations so far. That could soon change, and MeinMMO editor Lydia dares to hope.
What is specifically known? Right away: Nothing concrete is known yet. The information comes from Brandon Sanderson’s annual review, which was published on December 19, 2025, on his official website. In it, he writes in the section on video games:
“I have received some real interest on the video game front, and I feel that I’m finally established enough that we can make a Mistborn game. To that end, I have started talking to some AAA developers.”
A possible Mistborn game is currently little more than a glimmer in its creator’s eyes. And long-time fans know better than to get their hopes up. In the past, there have been several attempts to adapt Brandon Sanderson’s books, whether as movies, series, or video games.
The implementation has so far been quite difficult, not least because the author insists on retaining full creative control over his works. But this time, Sanderson claims everything will be different:
“I’m trying to approach things differently this time to maintain control over my video game rights. I’ve already received interest from some major players in the video game industry (who I greatly respect). So if you’re decision-makers at a AAA studio or a big indie studio, and have always wanted to make a Mistborn or Stormlight game… well, you should contact my representatives now.”
And even though I’m not necessarily a Sanderson superfan, I deeply hope that a studio will heed the call, because I believe this could be something truly special.
Speaking of video games based on books…
Please, please, let me swing through the streets as a fantasy Spider-Man
What could make it so special? The magic in Mistborn is based on metals, with the most well-known magic system in the series being Allomancy. Each metal has its own effect: Tin boosts physical strength, Tin sharpens the senses, and Copper allows a Mistborn to hide from enemies.
This means that Allomancy already provides the foundation for a pretty cool combat system, perhaps even stealth elements. However, things get really exciting with the movement. Burning Iron and Steel allows users to pull towards metals or push against them.
These abilities are used by the Mistborn in the books to move across the city rooftops. They throw coins, which they then pull towards themselves or push away from.
Although it remains to be seen whether there will even be a video game adaptation, or how exactly the books could be implemented – let me at least dream of swinging through a fantasy world like Spider-Man.
A small taste of how cool this could be is shown in this clip from Comic Con in London:
By the way, I’m not alone in my hope. Cedar_Wood_State writes on Reddit: “The book reads like a tutorial for a video game (at least partly in the beginning). I already imagined it like a Spider-Man game (in terms of movement) while reading it.”
In another thread on Reddit, the similarity to the Dishonored games is discussed, whose gameplay would lend itself well to a Mistborn game. One user is even convinced that the books could have originally started as fan fiction for the Thief games, whose spiritual successor was Dishonored.
In order to truly grant Brandon Sanderson that much control, a possible studio would have to believe strongly in the project. Given the popularity of his works, that is not entirely far-fetched. According to Reddit, two of his series land in the top 10 of fantasy literature:
Readers on Reddit have voted on which is the best fantasy series – Game of Thrones is beaten by 2 worlds
