Game of Thrones
A Target spokesperson has quashed the rumor that Bethesda could be working on a “Game of Thrones” video game. Reuters/Robert Galbraith

The rumored Bethesda-developed “Game of Thrones” video game has turned out to be a hoax.

On Monday, “Game of Thrones” fans were stunned when a NeoGAF user spotted a listing on American retailer Target’s website that seemingly suggested that Bethesda could be working on a “Game of Thrones” video game. Unfortunately, the leak has now been clarified and rumors about a possible game can now be put to rest.

A Target spokesperson has come forward to say that the rumored “Bethesda: Game of Thrones” video game is not at all real. “This is not a real product — we’re sorry for any confusion,” the spokesperson said without further going into detail as to why the listing appeared on Target’s site.

Even before Target released a statement however, Forbes was already not convinced. According to the publication, there were two things that made the listing very questionable. The first one was the fact that it did not appear as a real listing or a placeholder listing, for it only contained a single phrase. The second one had to do with the amount of time the listing stayed up. More often than not, genuine leaks are taken down very quickly.

Forbes also pointed out that there was another Target listing for “Rockstar: Game of Thrones,” which all the more did not make sense. Nonetheless, the appearance of the two listings may have led some to assume that the two game developers could be collaborating on an open-world video game that’s set in the universe of “A Song of Ice And Fire.”

Though the Bethesda listing has already been clarified, it remains undeniable that fans of “Game of Thrones” are craving for a new video game adaptation to come along. PC Gamer pointed out that the video game adaptations that have been released thus far were mostly disappointing.

Moreover, Bethesda is possibly the best developer to handle a fantasy RPG that’s inspired by George R.R. Martin’s best-selling book series. For one thing, the company has years of fantasy RPGs under its belt, and it is also no stranger to making dragons and civil wars. Furthermore, the Rockville, Maryland-headquartered developer and publisher has a good track record of delivering high quality games such as “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” “Fallout 4” and “Dishonored 2” among many others.

Meanwhile, the industry has already seen two “Game of Thrones” video games come to fruition. In 2012, an RPG game was released by Cyanide Studios and Focus Home Interactive. Then in 2014, Telltale launched its episodic fantasy game “Game of Thrones: A Telltale Game Series.” The company is currently working on a second season for its video game series.

Interestingly, there could have been a third “Game of Thrones” video game by now if plans for it did not fell through. In 2012, an MMORPG entitled “Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms” was announced at the Game Developers Conference. However, development for the game was terminated and its official website was shut down in 2014, as pointed out by GameSpot.