Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
2023 saw many popular titles being released including legacy games such asMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,andMortal Kombat 1. While most of these games were popular and won accolades during the Awards season, Warner Bros.’Hogwarts Legacyseems to have trumped them all in one category.
Based on JK Rowling’s popular young-adult fantasy franchise,Hogwarts Legacyreleased early last year to favorable reviews and praise, despite Rowling’s negative public image. Though the game was quickly overshadowed by the release of legendary titles such asSpider-Man 2, the game is reportedly the best-selling game of 2023, selling 22 million copies.
Also read:Hogwarts Legacy Casts a Huge Discount Spell on Digital Edition Prices for Black Friday
Hogwarts LegacyBecomes Best-Selling Game Of 2023
The action role-playing gameHogwarts Legacywas the latest entry in the series of games based on the Wizarding World of theHarry Potterfranchise. However, the game was set a century before the events ofHarry Potterand was different from previous entries in the series as it was not tied into the films.
The game follows a student enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they journey to find an ancient secret. It also follows the student’s tenure at the School as they take lessons and interact with professors and fellow students. The game was lauded for its world-building and faithful adaptation to the source material, while its gameplay received mixed responses.
Also read:Footage of Hogwarts Legacy on Nintendo Switch Shocks With Surprisingly Good Quality
Recently, the president of Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, which produced the game stated that the game became the best-selling game of 2023 by selling 22 million copies. Despite releasing in early 2023 and having stiff competition from legacy titles,Hogwarts Legacystill held its ground and won the race. He toldVariety,
“It brought Harry Potter to life in a new way for gamers where they could be themselves in this world, in this story. And that’s what the team at Avalanche set out to do when they were developing the game and I think that’s really why it resonated so well and remains the best-selling game of the year in the entire industry worldwide.”
The game claimed the top spot despite facing severe online backlash due to its association with JK Rowling and her controversial political stance.
Also read:Hogwarts Legacy is Statistically the Most Popular Game of the Year… so Far
Hogwarts LegacyFaced Competition FromSpider-Man 2andBaldur’s Gate 3
ThoughHogwarts Legacyhad the advantage of being a part of an established and popular IP, it was still overshadowed by much more popular titles such as Marvel’sSpider-Man 2andBaldur’s Gate. The former was a sequel to 2018’sMarvel’s Spider-Manand 2020’sMarvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Moralesand saw both Miles Morales and Peter Parker as playable characters.
The game was released for PS5 and quickly became the fastest-selling title for the console, selling over $5 million units in ten days. It was also nominated for several Game of the Year Awards and was placed third in Time magazine’s list of best games of 2023.Hogwarts Legacydid not make the list.
Baldur’s Gate 3was another popular title that gave stiff competition in a year filled with new releases. The Dungeons & Dragons-based fantasy game made it to the top of several Best of the Year lists and even won The Game of the Year Award as well as the Golden Joystick Award.
ThoughHogwarts Legacywas left out of many lists and did not receive any recognition during Awards season, it still managed to be the best-selling game of 2023 and is expected to receive its follow-up titleHarry Potter: Quidditch Championssoon.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2419
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
