The Winds of Winter Update: G.R.R. Martin’s Progress with the 6th Game of Thrones Book
Parijat Ghosh 
Fans of Game of Thrones have been waiting more than a decade for George R. R. Martin’s next book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series – The Winds of Winter. The sixth entry in the epic fantasy saga has become almost mythical in its delay. Every year brings new hints, shifting promises, and plenty of speculation. So where does the book really stand today? Let’s take a closer look at Martin’s long journey and his latest updates.
A Long Winter of Waiting
Back in 2010, Martin said he had moved a few chapters from A Dance with Dragons into Winds. At the time, he suggested it might take him three years to finish. That optimism faded quickly. By 2012, he admitted that while he had around 400 pages drafted, many were rough and would need heavy rewriting.
The years kept slipping by. In 2015, he openly hoped for a 2016 release, but that deadline passed. Instead, Martin focused on other projects, including Fire & Blood in 2018, which chronicled the history of House Targaryen. While fans enjoyed the lore, the delays on Winds deepened their frustration.
Promises, Progress, and Setbacks
Over the years, Martin has shared small victories and crushing admissions. He has often said he missed deadlines, rewrote chapters, or got sidetracked by spin-offs and side projects. Each time, readers’ hopes spiked, only to fall again. In October 2022, though, he gave fans a rare spark of optimism, saying the manuscript was about “three-quarters done.”
By early 2023, he even mentioned having 400–500 pages still to go. But by late that same year, he admitted progress had slowed, and his page count was almost the same as before. This inconsistency has become a hallmark of Martin’s updates — one step forward, one step back.
The Latest Word from Martin
In July 2024, Martin had to temper expectations after rumors suggested his meeting with an editor meant the book was nearly finished. He clarified that such meetings didn’t signal a release date. Then, in April 2025, he called the book “the curse of my life,” a telling sign of how heavy the burden has become.
Still, in July 2025, Martin gave the most promising update in years: he revealed he had written around 1,500 pages of the manuscript. He explained that while certain character arcs were done, he still had to piece everything together into one coherent whole. Given the sprawling nature of the saga, that’s no small task.
Why It’s So Difficult
Writing The Winds of Winter is not like finishing an ordinary novel. It’s the linchpin of one of the most complex fantasy stories ever written. Every character arc must align, every twist must fit the larger puzzle, and every ripple change forces rewrites elsewhere. Martin has admitted that he can’t retire from writing, even if fans demand closure. The weight of expectations, combined with his perfectionism, makes every step harder.
Right now, The Winds of Winter remains unfinished. But the 1,500-page milestone suggests it may finally be moving closer to completion. Martin’s candid updates show both his struggles and his dedication. While no release date is in sight, hope has never fully faded.
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