Hogwarts Legacy has moved mountains for its physical release in the United Kingdom, taking the title of the biggest launch for any Harry Potter game in history.
This is unsurprising seeing that the game was one of the most anticipated of this year. Yet, it was not all smooth sailing for Avalanche Software. It clarified that Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling contributed no input to the development of Hogwarts Legacy, however head of Warner Bros. Games David Haddad said that she is “entitled to express her personal opinion on social media.” These opinions include that transgender identities act to "erode 'woman' as a political and biological class," and she has ridiculed efforts for more representative language, saying that International Women's Day would become "We Who Must Not Be Named Day."
Here's what the Quidditch Pitch looks like in Hogwarts Legacy:
Per GfK data, Hogwarts Legacy's first week sales are up 80% when we look to Elden Ring's first week sales, the equivalent RPG that swept the globe in 2022. The remainder of the top five physical games for the week just gone comprises God of War Ragnarok, FIFA 23, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
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Furthermore, Hogwarts Legacy has had the most successful launch of a Harry Potter game ever, triumphing over 2001's Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone with 64% higher sales.
As Hogwarts Legacy has only come to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, we would expect to see sales rise once more when the previous generation and Switch versions of the game hit the shelves. Players are already calling the game a GOTY contender, and with numbers like these, it could be true.
Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros. Interactive EntertainmentTopics: Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy