Following the news that Netflix would be acquiring Warner Bros alongside HBO and HBO Max, the decision has been met with controversy with many believing that the future of cinema and gaming could be drastically changed.
Now just a week on and it seems as though the fears were not in vain as Netflix co-CEO Gregory Peters told investors that Warner Bros gaming division was “relatively minor compared to the grand scheme of things”.
As such, acquiring its gaming division did not even factor into the deal which was reported to have cost more than $80 billion. Shared during the 8 December investor call (thanks to Pocket Gamer), Peters said: “While [Warner Bros.] definitely have been doing some great work in the game space.
“We actually didn’t attribute any value to that from the get-go because they’re relatively minor compared to the grand scheme of things.”
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Calling the Warner Bros. gaming division "relatively minor” is quite a stretch considering that it was responsible for the best-selling game of 2023 with Hogwarts Legacy racking up over 34 million copies sold. It's also the 26th top selling video game of all time, which is already a remarkable feat for such a young title.
Additionally, it is the publisher behind the beloved Batman: Arkham franchise, Mortal Kombat and each entry in the LEGO gaming series.
With rights to Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Batman, which will now be acquired by Netflix, this is hardly an unknown line-up and so it is no surprise that fans are shocked to hear these comments.
Netflix Comments Met With Mixed Reviews
Taking to r/pcgaming following the news, user Imoraswut said" “Funny, that's how I feel about Netflix with their average of two episodes of watchable TV per year.”
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However, for others, Warner Bros. has indeed made some questionable decisions over recent years when it comes to its gaming division.
“The IPs and franchises they have can be useful if utilised and managed correctly, but WB has pretty well destroyed its gaming division in the last couple years,” user NewHaven86 shared.
“And Netflix couldn't care less about gaming anyway.”
If Peters’ comments are anything to go by, then the future is looking uncertain for the current IPs under Warner Bros.’ name and that includes Hogwarts Legacy 2.
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Reported to be in the early stages of development, this acquisition could spell bad news for the highly anticipated sequel to 2023’s Hogwarts Legacy.
At the time of writing, it is currently unclear how Hogwarts Legacy 2 will be affected but what we do know is that major changes are about to be implemented as this acquisition continues on.
Topics: Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy, Netflix, Warner Bros