Summary
Hogwarts Legacymay not be the most revered game of 2023, which was packed with genre-defining titles, but it succeeded on a completely different scale from its contemporaries. It’s a great game and a valiant first effort with the IP forAvalanche Software, as well as a good basis to be improved upon with a potential sequel, expansion, or evolution.
WhereHogwarts Legacystood tallest was its sales figures, dominating the year from the off and never looking back. That fact alone implies more will surely come, and while fans may have to wait for a formal announcement, it might be wiser for the developer to whet fans' appetites soon to firmly cement its place in theHarry Potterfranchise. The promise of a new TV series from HBO puts the game in a tough spot when it comes to lore, and providing clarity early could save it from any confusion later down the line.
The New Harry Potter TV Series Presents a Lore Problem
The Daniel Radcliffe-led film series of the 2000s was a wonderful adaptation of the wizarding world that was forged in the books and went a long way to bringing people into the impressive fictional setting ofHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Little is known about how the HBO series will adapt the source material, or how far it will go to build on what has already been written. However, it is still another piece of theHarry Potterpuzzle and one that has to find a place in fans' hearts.
Hogwarts Legacy’s place in the wider canon of Harry Potter may not be validated, but it’s another building block in the same fiction franchise. A sequel being announced sooner rather than later would put to bed the uncertainty of how the 2023 game fits intoHarry Potterlore, as the pair of games will have effectively created their own world.Hogwarts Legacywill no longer feel like the odd one out when it releases, as the games will have an established a continuity of their own, and the films and upcoming TV show will be distinctively separate entities.
Hogwarts Legacy’s Success is On Shallow Ground
Hogwarts Legacywas the biggest success story of 2023, being the highest-selling game of the year, and the first non-Call of DutyorRockstargame to top the selling charts for well over a decade. It did this with a developer in Avalanche Software that is still proving itself in the AAA space, but while this is an accomplishment worthy of immense praise, the sequel’s success isn’t a foregone conclusion. Tensions remain high surrounding the IP and its creator, so if enough time is left between the release ofHogwarts Legacyand a potential successor, the cultural tide is more at risk of changing before its announcement.
Hogwarts Legacyhas sold over 22 million copies, making it the best-selling game of 2023, over the second placeThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Hogwarts Legacy Deserves to Have an Impact on Canon
Hogwarts Legacyis too successful to be stuck in lore limbo. It’s a game that has seen plenty of criticism to go with its praise, and being left out of any kind of continuity would only serve to dampen its impact and make the journey, no matter how fun, feel redundant. Announcing its sequel soon would help to establish which lore it wants to contribute towards. The longer Warner Bros and Avalanche Software take to share the plan for the future, the more fragile the ground becomes, andHogwarts Legacy’s inevitable sequelwill be without a canonical home.
