Hogwarts Legacy fans furious game has already lost GOTY to Zelda, Starfield, Baldur's Gate 3

The Game of The Year is an illustrious title, one which every dev aims for when releasing a new game. Of course, some stand a better chance than others of reaching it, as Hogwarts Legacy fans are finding out the hard way.

When the wizarding open-world RPG was released at the start of the year, many gamers quickly pegged it for being GOTY, even despite the controversy surrounding it (you know, due to a certain author having… interesting views). It wasn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, a perfect launch, but there was praise to be found for the game beneath the criticism.

Watch the launch trailer for Hogwarts Legacy to feel the magic!

Then Star Wars Jedi: Surviour entered the ring, followed by Zelda TOTK. At first it looked like HL might weather the storm, but, as with so many hopes, that dream was crushed when Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield really started to gain traction. A traction that will only grow in the coming days, weeks, and months. So, naturally, HL fans are pretty darn cross that their beloved game isn’t in the running anymore.

But their frustration doesn’t come from some unhinged console war that really needs to end already, it comes from having to watch as other games offered fans what Hogwarts Legacy denied them. “I liked exploring Hogwarts when I played this game and I even platinumed the game because I am a massive completionist. But seeing the features in new RPGs, HL makes me sad,” said Redditor Vegetable-Fox8.

They added, “In Starfield, you can choose different backstories and get different buffs, quests and items. Imagine you choose Hufflepuff and you get an edge in your dealings with magical creatures. Or imagine you choose Slytherin and you get a dark arts buff. And of course in Baldur's Gate your choices matter, endings change and you can lock yourself out of some quests. Plus there's so much interactability.”

This isn’t the first time fans have lamented over all the components missing from HL, such as romance, which fans have demanded in abundance. Missed opportunity after missed opportunity is the consensus from fans. However, as one fan pointed out, “I think for their first big AAA game they did a pretty great job but of course there is room for improvement. I feel like a sequel could see a massive jump in terms of systems and depth now that they have established the world and its design.”

With an insider having revealed that Hogwarts Legacy 2 is in development, fans are hoping that the mistakes made in the first game will be resolved in the sequel. Especially if the devs hope to get the GOTY title in the future.