Netflix's 32-Episode Game Of Thrones Replacement's Cancellation Is The End Of An Era

Published Oct 11, 2026, 8:15 AM EDT Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. As one of the best TV shows of all time, Game of Thrones has been hard to replace, but Netflix has the best replacement that, unfortunately, it's now nearing the end of an era. The fantasy genre is home to some of the most influential TV shows of all time, which not only shaped the genre but also changed TV in general. Such is the case for Game of Thrones, which turned fantasy into prestige TV and became a huge worldwide cultural phenomenon. Despite its controversial final season, Game of Thrones is still one of the best fantasy shows of all time, and it set the bar very high for fantasy on TV. As expected, many other networks and streaming platforms tried to compete with Game of Thrones, and the one that gave the best fight and delivered the best replacement to date is Netflix. In 2019, Netflix released its Game of Thrones replacement: The Witcher, based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series of the same name. The Witcher had a strong start, quickly becoming one of Netflix’s biggest releases, but it saw a decline in its second season due to creative decisions that didn’t sit well with those familiar with the books and video games. Regardless of its flaws, The Witcher is still one of Netflix’s best TV shows and one of the best fantasy shows of the decade, but it’s now nearing the end of an era with its upcoming fifth season – however, it still managed to succeed over Game of Thrones in one way. The Witcher Became Netflix's Answer To Game of Thrones Image courtesy of MovieStillsDb The Witcher follows the title monster hunter Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill and Liam Hemsworth), powerful sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), and Cintra's Princess Ciri (Freya Allan). Although they have their individual struggles and journeys, The Witcher follows their encounter and bond, with them becoming a family. As such, Geralt and Yennefer do their best to keep Ciri safe from all those wanting to capture her, but that’s a lot easier said than done. At the end of The Witcher season 4, Ciri was taken by Leo Bonhart (Sharlto Copley) after he murdered the Rats, Geralt officially got his “of Rivia” title, and Yennefer formed the Lodge of Sorceresses to continue looking for Vilgefortz. The Witcher will end with its fifth season, thus marking the end of an era for the Netflix show and the franchise in general, as this is the first English-language adaptation of the books. Although The Witcher didn’t get to the level of Game of Thrones in terms of production and popularity, it’s the closest there has been to it. Replacing Game of Thrones was not only a very tough challenge for The Witcher due to the success and impact of the HBO show, but also because they are very different worlds despite both being high-fantasy shows. Still, the world-building of The Witcher, its fantasy creatures, use of magic, and complex stories made it Netflix’s Game of Thrones successor. The Witcher Succeeded Over Game of Thrones In 1 Huge Way Game of Thrones is still the undefeated fantasy show of the 2010s, and so far in the 2020s, it still hasn’t been dethroned – however, there’s one thing where The Witcher succeeded a lot more than Game of Thrones. While both shows are part of a franchise that started with a book series, The Witcher has expanded a lot more than Game of Thrones has. At the time of writing, Game of Thrones has two spinoff prequel shows, a movie in development, and video games, while The Witcher has video games, a live-action prequel miniseries, two animated movies, and a feature-length special, through which it has explored other parts of Geralt’s story and that of the Continent. Surely, not all of The Witcher’s spinoffs succeeded, but there’s still a lot of material for more expansions. The Witcher is ending with its fifth season, and at least for now, there are no more spinoffs planned, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility that more shows or movies will be released after the main show ends. Game of Thrones and The Witcher left their mark on the fantasy genre in different ways, and they make an interesting double feature for those into high fantasy. Release Date December 20, 2019 Network Netflix Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich Cast Anya Chalotra Yennefer of Vengerberg Directors Stephen Surjik, Charlotte Brändström, Edward Bazalgette, Loni Peristere, Louise Hooper, Bola Ogun, Alex Garcia Lopez, Gandja Monteiro, Sarah O'Gorman Writers Haily Hall, Clare Higgins, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Jenny Klein, Tania Lotia Franchise(s) The Witcher