The plot, and, by extension - potentially the entire development - of Hogwarts Legacy 2 could be set to change dramatically soon following news of publisher Warner Bros’ upcoming buyout.
In case you haven’t heard, let me get you up to speed on the important context: Warner Bros Discovery, the IP holders for franchises like DC, Looney Tunes, Game of Thrones and, yes, even Harry Potter, announced earlier last week that they are officially up for sale.
Warner Bros revealed that they had already received “unsolicited interest from multiple parties for both the entire company and Warner Bros” and were already exploring “strategic alternatives” in regards to selling off their properties.
So, what does any of this have to do with Hogwarts Legacy 2's development? And why could its potential story alterations be caused by the reported upcoming bid from Netflix?
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Firstly, let’s get the Netflix bit out of the way. As revealed earlier today in a report via Reuters, "three sources familiar with the matter" have revealed that Netflix is "actively exploring a bid" for Warner Bros Discovery's studio, and their streaming rights.
According to Reuters' report, Netflix has even hired the investment bank Moelis & Co to help iron out the details.
The issue here is that Warner Bros has already announced that they’re comfortable with chopping up parts of the entire company and selling them off individually, and Netflix’s bid may indeed only end up taking a portion… like, for instance, Warner Bros’ streaming rights.
Where Hogwarts Legacy 2 is concerned, this could potentially end up directly affecting its previously announced collaboration with the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV series.
Back in 2024 during an interview with Variety, David Haddad, who was the president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment at the time, revealed that the story for Hogwarts Legacy 2 will tie directly into the events of the Harry Potter HBO series.
Haddad implied that this tie-in was a direct result of the original Hogwarts Legacy’s success, stating that: “The rest of the company was very curious about what we helped to unlock with ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ last year.”
This could mean that if Netflix opts out of purchasing Warner Bros. Games, but successfully makes a bid Warner Bros’ streaming rights (which would include HBO’s Harry Potter series), this collaborative effort may end up falling to the wayside in the process.
Of course, this is all a matter of timing.
The Harry Potter series is set to drop in early 2027, and Hogwarts Legacy 2 is rumoured to release sometime in either late 2026 or early 2027.
Should the Warner Bros buyout take place before then, it could cause issues.
But, if it goes through after both projects are finished, or alternatively after they’ve been released, it may end up being a non-issue.
Topics: Hogwarts Legacy, Harry Potter, Warner Bros, Netflix, TV And Film, News