Harry Potter video games never quite found their footing in the gaming industry. The early movie tie-in games like Philosopher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets remain licensed classics for many childhoods. I remember playing Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup on the PS2 for many hours after coming home from primary school. Sadly, Harry Potter games became lost in limbo after the future movie games failed to reach expectations. Lego Harry Potter is perhaps the only example of the series keeping their foot in the door for casual gamers. But the Wizarding World returned in 2023 with Hogwarts Legacy.
I remember the mixed reception about the game before it came out. Some thought the game would be a disappointment, and some thought it would deliver. Ultimately, Hogwarts Legacy was worth the wait and offered players the definitive Hogwarts experience. Taking classes, learning new spells, embarking on quests, satisfying combat and the well-written story and characters made Hogwarts Legacy a wonderful experience. The game became the highest-selling game of last year, with an estimated 24 million copies sold (as of January 2024), creating massive revenue for Warner Bros. Games.
Despite their success in 2023, Warner Bros. Games have taken a significant blow this year. Their latest AAA title, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, failed to meet expectations. Developed by Rocksteady Studios, the game serves as a sequel to the magnificent Batman: Arkham series. Sadly, the game received mixed and negative reviews from critics and fans. The company pushing the game to be a live-service title that would receive numerous updates with more content was not enough to keep players from booting it up. Recent reports say that Rocksteady has laid off more than half their employees after the dismal performance. Warner Bros. Games are estimated to have lost $200 million.
The parent company are now looking to make a comeback. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions was released for most home consoles this week. The irony is that one of the main criticisms of Hogwarts Legacy was Quidditch not being present. The company have now (not due to reactions from fans) released a game dedicated to the iconic wizarding sport. Quidditch Champions is not connected to the events of Hogwarts Legacy and serves as a solo endeavour.
It is not just Quidditch on the minds of Warner Bros. News this week confirmed that Hogwarts Legacy will receive a sequel. Warner Bros. Discovery’s CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels, during Bank of America’s 2024 Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference, revealed that a sequel is happening.
“A successor to Hogwarts Legacy is one of the biggest priorities in a couple of years down the road.”
Warner Bros. is also aware of the fanbase. In January 2024, Warner Bros. Games chief David Haddad spoke of the continued support and time players. He said that “many” fans had returned to the game for another playthrough with a different Hogwarts house. Avalanche Studios, the developers of Hogwarts Legacy, have claimed that players combined had put over 700 million hours into the game in 2023.
While these claims say that a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy is not coming to us anytime soon, it is reassuring to know that another Wizarding World RPG will be in the works at Warner Bros. If the game has not entered active development yet, we can be sure that the sequel will be coming to us somewhere down the road.
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