Why Hogwarts Legacy 2 Should Embrace GTA Online, Rockstar Leads The Way

Hogwarts Legacy 2 is rumoured to be a live-service multiplayer game. Here’s what Avalanche Software should do instead.

One of the biggest missed opportunities with Hogwarts Legacy was the lack of multiplayer but it’s understandable why it was left out. The singleplayer story and open-world had to come first.

Since the next game will likely have a bigger budget including some sort of multiplayer component feels like a no brainer, and when implementing it taking a page out of Rockstar Games’ book wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Taking Rockstar’s Lead

Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto: Online might share the same map but they’re two very different games. Players have Michael, Franklin and Trevor in GTA V but in GTA: Online they get their own custom character. While there’s some crossover between both games having them separate means GTA: Online can get a little more crazy with its new additions, including missions, unlockable content and other characters.

If Hogwarts Legacy 2 is considering a live-service multiplayer approach where that’s the only way to play it’ll be alienating a huge part of its audience, those who just want to play a solid story and not engage in multiplayer.

Rather than do that, why not just enable the best of both worlds?

Separate Hogwarts Legacy 2 into two components, one that focuses on the singleplayer story and acts as a worthy sequel to the first game, and another that focuses on the multiplayer experience Hogwarts Legacy fans have been waiting for.

Like Grand Theft Auto players can create their own custom character in the main story, but then create another for the multiplayer.

While attacking other students might be off-limits for the story character it won’t be for the multiplayer, allowing players to be as lawless as they want but of course with repercussions for going against Hogwart’s rules.

Warner Bros Games

Microtransaction Hell

The only downside to this is it means any DLC the game gets will likely go to the online mode.

In an ideal world there's a story expansion and then whatever multiplayer DLCs the studio wants to make but if the live-service approach is followed through it’ll want as many players as possible online where the microtransactions are.

Now I’m not saying that Avalanche Software needs to do this in order for Hogwarts Legacy 2 to be a success. After the first game crushed all expectations I’ve no doubt in my mind that the sequel will soar just as high, but I think it’d be a kick in the teeth for fans to have the follow-up they’ve been waiting for boil down to traditional live-service slop as opposed to something worth the wait. Taking a page out of Rockstar’s book will appeal to both camps.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about Hogwarts Legacy 2 and I’m hoping the live-service rumours are exactly that, rumours.