Hogwarts Legacy has its faults, but it laid some incredibly strong foundations upon which to build a long-running franchise.
Naturally, it helps that developers were starting with an established IP, but that alone isn’t enough to achieve success.
Avalanche Software crafted an engaging wand combat system, and some exquisite locations in the form of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade - all accompanied by an entertaining story.
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Yes, the open world was far too obsessed with caves and ruins, and it would’ve been nice to see a class or companion system, but those are aspects we could see in a future instalment.
I have to admit, I thought we might see more in the way of post-launch content although there is that rumoured Director’s Cut.
Beyond that, a sequel is indeed on the way.
It hasn’t received a formal reveal, but Warner Bros Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels did previously refer to a successor as “one of the biggest priorities in a couple of years down the road”.
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This should be exciting news for fans, but that jubilation is being dulled by the rumour that Hogwarts Legacy 2 will incorporate live-service elements.
Let’s journey back to where it all began, with a tour of Hogwarts Legacy’s four house common rooms.
The gaming industry has been obsessed with live-service for several years now.
Why? Well you need only look at the success of a game like Fortnite, but it’s not easy to replicate that success as we’ve seen.
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Concord was dead on arrival. Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer offering was cancelled before it ever saw the light of day. Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was yet another disaster.
Yes, I’m sure that new live-service success stories will emerge but I’d hope that these aforementioned case studies will stop studios chasing it as the be all and end all.
That day hasn’t come yet though.
Earlier this year at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, CEO and president of global streaming and games at Warner Bros Discovery JB Perrette said the following: “Rather than just launching a one-and-done console game, how do develop a game around, for example, Hogwarts Legacy that is a live service where people can live and build and play in that world on an ongoing basis?”
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Making Hogwarts Legacy 2 a live-service game would, in my opinion, be disastrous - and it’s something that fans have been concerned about ever since this statement emerged.
What I will say though is that this doesn’t necessarily read as if the sequel will definitely be live-service, namely due to that word “around”.
That is a possibility, but so too does it sound as if another game could be released to compliment Hogwarts Legacy that’s live service and taps into the same formula.
Like we have GTA V and GTA Online, for example.
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Warner Bros will have been disappointed by the response to Suicide Squad so I shouldn’t think the company is going to risk blowing Hogwarts Legacy’s success.
The truth is though that we’re pretty in the dark for now. We can only hope that when information does come to light, it reflects what we want to hear.
Topics: Hogwarts Legacy, Harry Potter, Warner Bros