Hogwarts Legacy Casts Spell on Sales, Surpassing 22 Million Copies Worldwide

In a magical triumph, "Hogwarts Legacy" enchanted fans and dominated the gaming realm, boasting an impressive 22 million copies sold by the close of 2023. Warner Bros. Games revealed that 2 million of these enchanting copies flew off the shelves during the festive December holiday season.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment president, David Haddad, expressed his pride not just in the game's sales but in the joy it brought to fans. Haddad highlighted how the game breathed new life into the Harry Potter universe, allowing gamers to immerse themselves in a captivating world. Despite the industry norm of sequels holding the top-selling spot, "Hogwarts Legacy" secured its place as the best-selling game worldwide for the entire year.

From its enchanting launch on Feb. 10 to the final day of 2023, the AAA title from Avalanche Studio accumulated a staggering 707 million hours of gameplay. Fans reveled in the experience, with many revisiting the game to explore different storylines by selecting alternative Hogwarts houses.

Delving into in-game statistics, the magical adventure witnessed 819 million potions brewed, 1.3 billion magical plants harvested, 593 million magical beasts rescued, and a staggering 4.9 billion dark wizards defeated within the virtual wizarding school's hallowed halls.

The magical journey doesn't end there. Haddad and the team are already concocting follow-up additions to the Potterverse's gaming universe. This includes the highly anticipated Quidditch title, currently in beta testing, and a trove of undisclosed projects promising even deeper engagement for fans.

Warner Bros. Games, under the directives of top executives, is channeling its focus on its iconic franchises for global gaming domination. Following the success of "Hogwarts Legacy," the studio's ambitious plans include the imminent launch of "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League" on Feb. 2, described by Haddad as "one of our most ambitious projects ever." Additionally, the free-to-play brawler game "MultiVersus" is set to unleash Warner Bros.-owned characters into epic battles.

Looking further ahead, the studio is brewing up a single-player open-world action game featuring Wonder Woman, along with games contributing to the reimagining of the DC Universe led by James Gunn and Peter Safran.

As part of Warner Bros. Discovery's strategic shift, Haddad emphasized the importance of franchises in the gaming landscape. The focus is on transforming major franchises into ever-engaging experiences through live services, multi-platform releases, and free-to-play extensions.

Haddad concluded, "Our macro goal is to ensure maximum engagement with the fans, using content, releases, updates, and live services." Could this mean a glimmer of hope for downloadable content in "Hogwarts Legacy"? Only time will tell as Warner Bros. Games charts its course toward a future filled with magical gaming experiences.