Hogwarts Legacy, PS5's Spellbinding Harry Potter Spin-Off, Massively Exceeded Sales Expectations

Well, the game is good so congrats for WB games 😃

What a win for cancel culture 😂

And that's without the Ps4, xbox one and switch versions 😳

I think delaying the three last gen systems helped shift PS5 consoles massively.

Nice to hear it doing extremely well! I expected it to sell, but this is a nice suprise. Will play it myself once its out on PS4.

On reflection, it's not a great game - far too cookie cutter open world rather than something made for HP specifically, plus pretty shallow combat that feels like Fisher Price MMO combat; but at least in terms of the detail, the atmosphere, the general audio-visual experience, it's a magical journey. Next time I'd like to play as a Hogwarts student, though, rather than a homeless, violent fiend that never sleeps, rarely attends lessons, and mainly migrates around a field on a broom looking for homes to break into.

@GrimReaper Don’t worry about J.K. She’s got enough money to hire people to take the harassment for her. She probably hasn’t heard a word of criticism, it all gets filtered out by her people before it reaches her.

Meanwhile, there’s a trans person somewhere, leaving their house, wondering who might want to murder them today, just for being who they are.

Rowling’s residuals from Hogwart’s Legacy alone could be spent making the world a better place. Instead she uses her status to pick on a vulnerable minority group. [EDIT: I wish I did not include the first part of this sentence. I was reacting to the original comment that suggested Rowling buy a yacht to get away from harassment. In such a reactionary statement, I have insinuated that she does not use her money to help people. This is incorrect, and I apologize.]

I really can’t understand people taking the side of a billionaire who can do whatever she wants, versus people that get persecuted just because their gender doesn’t match what they’ve got between their legs. Trans people aren’t hurting anyone, but Rowling’s remarks perpetuate the stigma of people that are already stigmatized.

I judge no-one for buying and enjoying the game. There are even trans people that bought it, just because of their love of the Harry Potter franchise. But actively celebrating transphobia is a bit much.

Is making that kind of money is why they felt comfortable delaying suicide squad?

@Impossibilium

J.K. Rowling is no longer a billionaire—because she donated so much money to charity. In 2011, she gave away about 16% of her net worth, or $160 million dollars.

Being rich doesn't give people the right to say "she created art / a business that I don't think she should prosper from because of xyz". Anyway, If she was living hand to mouth, would that change things?

Imagine how much it would have sold without the boycott!

Between this and the announcement of the new TV series I am now 100% convinced that the ''backlash'' is just a vocal minority.

The only time this will go on sale is the day after I cave in and buy it full price from the PS store.

The fact its done this without last gen consoles shows how many have jumped on to current gen now. Congrats to the Devs as they done a fantastic job.

@LifeGirl cancel culture is always a loud minority and always people who don't buy things anyway.

I don't know how much of this success is due to the funny boycott giving the game free advertising and how much is due to HP fans loving the game and spreading the good word. I'm not a HP fan and from what I played I think it's a dreamy game for them. I'd like a new LOTR game that does it for us.

Glad this has done well, as I was getting fed up of all the backlash from the vocal minority. If they manage to release it on last gen systems without any major issues, then I'll be excited to play this next month.

@johncalmc I don't think it even had the opposite effect, it's just that the vast majority of people weren't even aware of some internet nutters calling for a boycott. If you went up to someone about to buy a copy of HL in Tesco and said "you're buying that even though JK Rowling said she there should be single sex spaces still!?!?" they'd look very worried and then quickly walk away.

@Impossibilium "Rowling’s residuals from Hogwart’s Legacy alone could be spent making the world a better place. Instead she uses her status to pick on a vulnerable minority group."

And here's where I have a problem with people heavily criticizing her. While I don't agree with the way she's expressed her thoughts on the topic, she's helped minorities and tons of other people who were in need throughout the decades in a variety of ways, including using significant amounts of her fortune. Very few wealthy people do that (at least to such an extent). I wish the conversation around her was more nuanced than it currently. She's neither a saint nor the devil. She's done so much good that to dismiss all that seems just wrong to me.

I'm glad the game is doing well and I hope she keeps being successful (she deserves it) and supporting people, like she did with women in Afghanistan. I just wish she would refrain from using platforms like twitter to comment on such serious topics. An actress from Harry Potter who supported her raised a similar point.

I felt it was a game of two halves, where the first was brilliantly realised, then around the middle tailed off, as they repeated a lot of similar style quests.. and the story fell flat. I still would recommend giving it a playthrough.

I finished this game over the weekend and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes it doesn't break any new ground but it's a damn solid game with a fun combat system, great exploration and a very well planned and executed plot.

The only thing I would call it out on is having perhaps one too many trolls but that's probably another easter egg what with JKR having to deal with more than enough trolls herself.

The boycott really did wonders for them huh.

Well done to all involved. Always great to see a success story.

Great game - my kids have been loving it, my daughter is on her second play through.

Great to see quality shine.

The Streisand effect.

@Impossibilium grow up and keep it about gaming. There is enough nonsense on both sides without bringing it here. Lets just stick to gaming and leave the noise outside

I should have known better 🙄

Excellent game and it deserves every award it gets..a game for everybody.

@Impossibilium you've got to understand shes a huge feminist ,and champions women in all sorts of different ways ,maybe she couldve worded it differently,but come on,she was given death threats by a group of people who champion trans rights ,that same group of people who you say leave there house with fear of death,disgusting behaviour and did nothing for that cause.

Playing through this at the mo. It doesnt revolutionise the genre but it is thoroughly enjoyable. The world itself is a wonderful thing to explore.

@JohntheRaptor “I'd like a new LOTR game that does it for us.”
As luck would have it, Gollum releases next month. 😜

Love the game. Congrats to the developers on getting the well-deserved love for the great game that they've created.

A good well made game that simply worked out of the box. Other devs could learn plenty from the state this game was delivered in.

This game didnt try to push any boundaries and could be described as 'cookie cutter' if you were being harsh. But that was one of its appeals, it was pleasant and you usually knew exactly what you were doing as you'd done it before in other games. This gameplay matched to the easy going pace and style of the game design, to make a highly enjoyable title that almost everyone could find something in to enjoy.
If they ever go back to this world, I'd be right there to try it again...

@tallythwack it isn’t a black and white issue but the activists are so hostile. You can’t have a serious discussion because the moment you say something they don’t like they want to ruin your life. Even people in the trans community can’t speak out because the activists will turn on them too. It’s no wonder JKR has resorted to trolling them on occasion. JKR just wants the concerns of biological women to be heard and to have a serious conversation. I think the larger trans community want that too if they weren’t afraid to speak up. It’s a sorry state of affairs all round.

Anyway, I’m glad the game has done well and I’m looking forward to the new tv show.

Wow, congrats to the Avalanche devs on their well-deserved fat bonuses. The game was awesome even with its flaws.

Well ...It's a damn good game with a massive amount of content, relatively polished at release with no microtransactions or even DLC. So I say it's as well deserved as you can get. I still remember when all games followed this business model. Those were the days.

Well deserved success. I had an absolute blast with the game! Avalanche should be proud of their success and I look forward to whatever the studio has lined up next.

@GorosBat Exactly, no one really cares what she has to say if the game is good. She wasn't even involved in this particular games development.

@Th3solution Even that franchise gets stick from 'activists' that can't understand it was written in a different time period.

@Impossibilium agreeing with the points that J.K is talking about (this doesn't mean word-for-word) isn't taking her side. It's a genuine viewpoint that what is most likely a majority of people have and it's perfectly eligible for discussion without vitriol or abuse. This isn't some black and white discussion. There are many nuances to be sorted out and people need to sort out their viewpoint for us to achieve a result that works for everyone.

Personally I believe editorial commentary on this is often a terrible idea as it immediately creates that black//white "us and them" mentality in a discussion. We do not need to be constantly reminded of the issue in articles such as this as it's more likely to cause a negative reaction.

Also, I'd say you can "actively" celebrate an artist's work (in this case the game has a fair amount of distance between the original author and the end product - it's just a source material) without condoning everything they do or say.

Anyway, more on topic: the game is fantastic. It's odd to see a game that plays it so safe in terms of gameplay mechanics end up being so impressive due to the sheer amount of world detail and atmosphere. Glad to see Avalanche achieving success with this. Well deserved. And I hope we get to see some DLC soon - there were some brilliant side missions in some unusual places and styles that felt very promising!

@Enigk Probably an extra few hundred copies. most of these online "activists" aren't even gamers.

Not into HP but graphically it was certainly impressive. I think backlash stuff is more powerful online, but as social media become more and more "fake" with bots and folks not representing themselves, I think you'll find the mass public began to log off so to speak. So outrage online might not translate at all to real-world sentiments.

@MrMeeeseeeks there was some that thought that it sold that well, so to have a go at the trans community,no,it sold well because it was a great game ,if it was crap it would have got ripped apart,they don't know gamers very well.

@Omnistalgic it does feel like the hostility towards JKR has lessened in recent months. And I’m happy about that because I don’t think she’s the terrible person we’ve been lead to believe she is. But hopefully this will lead to more productive and sensible discussions on the subject going forward.

As a newcomer to the world of HP I thought Hogwarts Legacy was brilliant. It had some flaws but overall it was everything I could hope for as a HP fan. Can’t wait for the new series and I’m happy JKR is going to be involved. It has the potential to be something truly special.

I really enjoyed this game. It's not perfect by any means, but a great first game out of the gate. I think if they just made it next-gen only, they could make it even better.

Glad Hogwarts legacy sold a lot of copies.and its a excellent game.word up son

Glad sales have gone well. I will buy it eventually to show my support.

I've had Hogwarts Legacy, now I want Hagrid's Legacy

Hogwarts was a bit deceptive.
Starts you in the school where it runs fine, waits till a few hours to take you outside to some of the worst climbing animations in over three generations and some hit or miss, mostly miss, puzzles.
Weak ending too. Very generic.
I ultimately liked it though, despite not knowing or being invested in ths Harry Potter world in the slightest.
It was still way, way, waaay better than Just Cause.

Many congrats to Push Square and other media outlets that turned this game into political drama and consequently gave it tons of advertising and pushed people into buying it to make a point 😂

@OlderSpidey I have no issue with people being rich, especially if it is a reward for making art that people enjoy. I am only concerned about her using her fame to promote opinions that ignore the science and statistics regarding trans people.

@Enigk @johncalmc @Jireland92 Absolutely nobody — even the most vocal people calling for boycotts — ever expected this game not to sell well.

The people that are buying this game include (but are not limited to):

• people that like Harry Potter and know nothing about the controversy
• people that know about the controversy, but don’t care enough to have it affect them
• people that know about the controversy and agree with Rowling
• people (including trans people) that want to boycott the game but love Harry Potter too much not to want to play it

Add all of those together and you get the sales numbers reported in this article. While attempted boycotts never work, I think it’s still important to discuss the issues.

@naruball I fully accept the criticism of that particular statement. I’ve made an edit to my original post to reflect that.

That being said, a person can be right about a lot of things and still be wrong about one thing. (Myself included in this case.)

And you are completely correct, that Twitter (and this comment section 😏) is no place to have discussions as nuanced as these.

@tallythwack @MrMeeeseeeks Harassment — on both sides of the issue — is not acceptable, and today’s social media gives the worst people a metaphorical bullhorn. The idiots that send death threats to Rowling are deplorable, and do nothing to help their cause. But just like she does when she paints every trans woman as a bathroom-stalking predator, people should not paint every activist as a death-threat-sending extremist. Equating the amount of harassment she receives with the harassment trans people live with every day is a false equivalency.

@OlderSpidey she also just spent a half million of her own money to rescue women lawyers and their families from the Taliban after they were abandoned by US forces.

I'm so happy the game did so well, and this is another reason as to why Western companies should stop pandering to Twitter already, they're clearly a vocal minority. 99% of the rest of the world doesn't care about cancelling anyone.

@Impossibilium I think you are conflating two different things. It is possible to support trans people and be vocal against harassment directed at JK Rowling at the same time.

@viktorcode I thought that was what I said? I am in total agreement with you. Nobody, not even the worst people imaginable (which is not what Rowling is, to be clear) deserve harassment. It’s always a better decision to debate things calmly than to be abusive.

Rowling seems to be a genuinely good person for the most part. Her stance on trans issues just kinda taints her perspective. To be a staunch defender of women’s rights, but not include trans women, is just a weird bit of discrimination.

Great game, I’m still playing through it! Taking my time because it’s so fun.

@Impossibilium the hell’d you mention me for? I was just making a jab at the uselessness of the boycott. I didn’t even mention you at all.

Well deserved. Tons of fun and well worth the price of admission. Massively exceeded my expectations also.

See how the TV show turns out.

@Jireland92 Sorry, tagged you in the wrong part of my comment. Fixed it to just be the part that was directed at you, and the many others that share your sentiment. No malice intended, just wanted to put my opinions out there to counteract the views shared by my fellow commenters. ✌️

@Impossibilium the irony here is that Rowling really doesn't paint every trans person as a "bathroom-stalking predator". The only point that she has ever tried to make, is that if the barrier for entry to "the trans community" is low enough that all a bathroom-stalking predator has to do is say "I'm trans" to get a free pass to stalk bathrooms, it's going to happen. She's not even saying they're going to be the majority of people who say "I'm trans", rather that there are people (no matter how few they may be) deplorable enough to do that, just like there are people deplorable enough to use a perfectly legitimate cause as an excuse to send death threats (although presumably there are many more of these people).

Why you can see the distinction on one side, but not on the other is beyond me.

Well, what would all the deniers say now?!? 😂😂
Good to know that there are still people with common sense

@LordBakemono it was sarcasm

@Enigk another 6 copies at least!

@danlk1ng And that’s the heart of the issue here. The claims that people make against trans people don’t make any sense.

How many cases of assault have been reported by women in bathrooms? What was stopping men from dressing as a woman before? If an effeminate-looking man grew out his hair, would he try to use a woman’s bathroom? If a masculine-looking woman wanted to use a women’s bathroom, would someone have to be at the door to inspect her genitals before she was allowed in? Other than using the toilet and fixing their makeup, what are women doing in the bathroom that’s so private that gender identity matters? What’s stopping a man from entering a woman’s bathroom regardless of his appearance? Will there have to be guards at the door of every bathroom? Would a person have to declare their gender identity before entering?

In other words, what was the risk before transgender people started to be vilified and what’s the risk now?

I think the answer to that is none.

Trans people are people, and “people” includes every person, good or bad. Bad people are going to to do bad things, regardless of their gender, and discriminating against trans people does nothing to fix that. It just makes the lives of trans people harder. Putting trans people in a separate category is pure bigotry.

To me, there are equal distinctions that need to be made on both sides.

Rowling is generally a good person — she wrote books that are loved by many, and she has used her wealth to do good things. But she is on the wrong side of this one particular issue, and she uses her fame and influence to promote her opinions on the matter.

There are also many good trans people and people that defend them. And there are trans people and allies that harass people — they are wrong and should be punished for their despicable acts.

The hate against Rowling is not justified, but the criticism of her opinion of trans people is. The discrimination against trans people as a whole is not justified, but the complaints about harassment are.

All of those things can be true — that’s just how things are. That doesn’t mean that nobody should try to change it.

@Impossibilium I really think your missing the point ,she clearly sees it as an attack on a group of people she has fought for, for decades ,whether that's right or not Is debatable ,but attacking her just proved her point ,change her mind dont threaten her life ,maybe a trans toilet would be the answer then everyone one can wee wee in peace

I agree with JK Rowling

Good to see a huge mass of people don’t care about anything else as long as they selfishly get to consume their content.

@Arnna what about the poor sweatshop workers who made your phone and your clothes?

@GagaOooLaLa Using a lame whataboutism and false equivalency doesn’t change what I said. Try again.

@Arnna just wondering where it ranks on your scale of moral superiority? That’s all.

@GagaOooLaLa Boycotting someone who uses their influence to cause imminent and ongoing danger/subjugation to one of the most marginalised groups on earth, has nothing to do with moral superiority. It’s the correct thing to do.

So people don’t get to play a Harry Potter game as an outcome of having some balls and looking at the wider picture. That’s fine.
When your priority is having a piece of digital content at the expense of the safety of others, you’re the problem.

I loved the game but I don't get all the praise it gets. After a while it gets soooooo boring. I never got my bearings as the whole map was a 'maze' I always needed the guide to show me where to go. The quests and sidequest got boring af.
My wife wanted the game on her switch and even she said she didn't want it anymore after seeing me play it on ps5. She said it looked boring. I don't like to say it. But she was right for once
Great looking game with boring open world elements. In my opinion it gets a point or two with all reviewers for just being HP. So deduct a few points with all reviews.

Without the ridiculous drama it doesn't reach 5 mil.

This is what happens when you announce early on no horrible DLC model with content that should be in the game locked. (Still had rubbish day one preorder DLC mind you), No Microtransactions, and release footage that matches your ambition, add to that the game comes from a beloved universe and despite the constant noise from the likes of push square and their own “bubble” there was zero controversy around the game for 97% of the population. This all helps. (I have no doubt the 3% actually helped sales) the message is clear, make a good old fashioned story game focus on solo player and don’t fill with Microtransactions and dlc and you will sell loads.

@Ryall the launch and build to the to games couldn’t be more different. We know that one is a multiplayer, dlc and MTX laden mess. What they should have done is made a solo player epic with any gunk and it’ll make more money. I hope WB learn as they’ve been hurt by the way they market games and this time rewarded when they’ve done it right.

Gotham nights I’m enjoying - on steam deck - it’s not perfect but it’s good (but I got it in a charity bundle with a stack of other games for £12 - I adjust slider and gave most I could to charity.) it rightly got hammered for some terrible marketing and design decisions. In all reality it plays exactly like the old Batman games.

This game was so bold and clear from the start what it was and never swayed from that. There was never the bad news. (No MTX added after release too) it’s how to do a video game. Hopefully others will learn from it.

@Arnna I mean... she's not though?

And don't get me wrong, saying "she's not though" is a really bad argument and it lacks any kind of evidence. Just like the complete lack of evidence for any "imminent and ongoing danger/subjugation" actually caused by anything that JK Rowling has done. Emphasis on caused hence why I boldened that word.

I'm NOT (capitalised here because I accidentally missed the word 'not' out of the initial comment) denying the plight of trans people itself, more whether JK Rowling really has anything directly to do with it. I mean sure, there are a bunch of trans hating folk that are kind of happy that this feud between angry activists and JK Rowling exists, because they were going to hate trans people anyway, they'll take any old excuse to claim a bit of legitimacy.

But the people who really resonate with what JKR is actually saying, don't wish any harm on trans folks, they just want to see a bit of application of common sense - or at the very least, a reasonable discussion that doesn't boil down to "right, that's it, I've decided you're a bigot, now I don't even have to listen to you"