Hogwarts Legacy: Record-Breaking Success Despite Controversy
Hogwarts Legacy, the new Harry Potter-themed video game from Warner[0] Games, has had a massive first two weeks since its launch. The game has sold 12 million units, which translates to $850 million in revenue, making it the biggest launch for a WB game ever.[1]
The game has been played for over 280 million hours since its launch and attracted 1.28 million concurrent viewers on Twitch, setting a new record for single-player games on the streaming platform. Furthermore, the game has also seen a 300% increase in global franchise fan engagement on the Wizarding World Digital website.[2]
Variety reported that Hogwarts Legacy has also driven the highest level of traffic on the Harry Potter fan community website Fandom in more than seven years, surpassing the Fantastic Beasts heyday by 39%.[3]
The game's success comes despite calls for a boycott due to author JK Rowling's comments on transgender rights.[4] Rowling did not have active involvement in the game's development, but still benefits financially from its success.[5]
The game is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, with PS4 and Xbox One ports releasing April 4 and a Nintendo Switch version on July 25.[6] Warner[0] Games president David Haddad said, “We are very pleased with the initial launch and see a bright future for our other platform launches.”[7]
Despite the controversy, Hogwarts Legacy has been a massive success and continues to prove itself as one of the biggest games of 2023.[8] While there are no current plans to develop DLC for the game or add multiplayer elements, fans are already excited for a possible sequel and TV show.[9] With all these records, it's no surprise that Warner[0] Games is so pleased with the launch, and we can expect more Harry Potter content from them in the near future.[10]
0. “Warner ‘very pleased' with Hogwarts Legacy launch and ‘spectacular' player engagement | VGC” Video Games Chronicle, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/warner-very-pleased-with-hogwarts-legacy-launch-and-spectacular-player-engagement/
1. “‘Hogwarts Legacy’ Amasses An Astonishing 12 Million Sales In Two Weeks” Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2023/02/23/hogwarts-legacy-amasses-an-astonishing-12-million-sales-in-two-weeks/
2. “Hogwarts Legacy sells 12M copies and earns $850M in just two weeks despite boycott attempt” Dexerto, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.dexerto.com/hogwarts-legacy/hogwarts-legacy-sells-12m-copies-and-earns-850m-in-just-two-weeks-despite-boycott-attempt-2069921
3. “The Hogwarts Legacy community is collectively playing 23 million hours a day” Gamesradar, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.gamesradar.com/the-hogwarts-legacy-community-is-collectively-playing-23-million-hours-a-day/
4. “‘Hogwarts Legacy' has made $850 million so far, despite backlash” Business Insider, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.businessinsider.com/hogwarts-legacy-beat-expectations-warner-bros-discovery-despite-rowling-backlash-2023-2
5. “Hogwarts Legacy sells 12 million units in first two weeks” VentureBeat, 23 Feb. 2023, https://venturebeat.com/games/hogwarts-legacy-sells-12-million-units-in-first-two-weeks
6. “Hogwarts Legacy Tops 267 Million Hours Played to Date; WB Games CEO Is ‘Very Pleased’, Sees a Bright Future” Wccftech, 23 Feb. 2023, https://wccftech.com/hogwarts-legacy-tops-267-million-hours-played-to-date-wb-games-ceo-is-very-pleased-sees-a-bright-future/
7. “WB Games is happy for Hogwarts Legacy's extreme player engagement” Future Game Releases, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.futuregamereleases.com/2023/02/wb-games-happy-hogwarts-legacys-extreme-player-engagement/
8. “Hogwarts Legacy Has Sold Over 12 Million Copies” Lords of Gaming, 24 Feb. 2023, https://lordsofgaming.net/2023/02/hogwarts-legacy-has-sold-over-12-million-copies
9. “Hogwarts Legacy Passes Impressive Sales Milestone in First Two Weeks” GameRant, 24 Feb. 2023, https://gamerant.com/hogwarts-legacy-sales-milestone-two-weeks/
10. “Hogwarts Legacy's Sales Figures Tell A Pretty Clear Story” Den of Geek, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.denofgeek.com/games/hogwarts-legacys-sales-numbers-records-revenue
