With the news that Warner Bros. Discovery is set to turn the Harry Potter books into a live-action series for Max, there is even more attention on the franchise than usual. Expectedly, there’s a belief that other parts of the Wizarding World could be expanded upon, too, including the release of Hogwarts Legacy 2. Any talk of a sequel is likely to raise another hotly contested debate, especially after the first game was embroiled in a storm of divisive public opinion. However, a decision surrounding the future of this franchise is likely to be rooted in other key factors as well.
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The controversy surrounding Hogwarts Legacy
Without a shadow of a doubt, Hogwarts Legacy is one of the most controversial video games of all time. Before its release, there were calls for a mass boycott due to Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling’s transgender comments. Certain publications refused to review the video game, while many streamers also said they wouldn’t be covering it in protest.
Warner Bros. Games tried to get ahead of it by stating that Rowling hadn’t participated in the creation of the game at all. That said, it was rightfully pointed out that as the creator of this franchise she is entitled to receive royalties, despite her uninvolvement in production.
In the end, the noise surrounding Hogwarts Legacy was less about the game but more about its association with the franchise’s creator. With all the talk surrounding protests and boycotts, there was uncertainty about what would happen to the video game even before its release.
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The reception of the video game
Despite the controversy, Hogwarts Legacy arrived to overwhelmingly positive reviews. On Metacritic, it sits in the 80s for the different platforms, while the user ratings are also in the 80s. Of course, the video game isn’t without its faults and they are pointed out in various reviews, but the general sentiment is that it’s fun and captures the magical world of Hogwarts.
It is also the kind of game that appeals to casual gamers because it doesn’t require too much knowledge of the Harry Potter franchise beforehand. Since it’s an entirely original story that takes place before the days of Voldemort and Dumbledore, anyone could pick it up and play without too much context. Of course, for longtime fans, all the Easter eggs and lore would hit slightly differently.
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The sales point toward Hogwarts Legacy 2 being a reality
According to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s comments during a quarterly meeting (via Deadline), Hogwarts Legacy sold over 12 million copies and made $850 million in its first two weeks. Those are simply phenomenal numbers, making it one of the fastest-selling games of all time and an extremely likely candidate to cross the $1 billion threshold. Also, it made more money than any three of the Fantastic Beasts films.
Obviously, Warner Bros. Games is smiling from ear to ear about the success of Hogwarts Legacy. Speaking about the video game to Variety, WBG President David Haddad explained how the company sees this part of the Wizarding World as having a long future. “We are very pleased with the initial launch and see a bright future for our other platform launches,” Haddad said.
While Hogwarts Legacy 2 hasn’t been officially confirmed at the time of writing, it’s more of a matter of when and not if the announcement will come.
