The best-selling game of 2023, Hogwarts Legacy, has sold over 24 million units to date. The news came from Variety, which also outlined the ambitious plan Warner Bros. Discovery has for growth in the gaming space. The company values Harry Potter (the IP behind Hogwarts Legacy), Mortal Kombat (which has sold three million units since its debut last September), DC, and Game of Thrones franchises $1 billion each for their gaming potential, and it plans to capitalize on them all.
For the latter IP, Warner Bros. is very happy with the success of the mobile strategy title Game of Thrones: Conquest. The company is now looking at what else they can do with the franchise; hopefully a triple-A game, which is something that’s been strangely missing ever since Game of Thrones became popular. For DC, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO of global streaming and gaming JB Perrette said:
Frankly, there hasn’t been as close a relationship between the studio and the games business as there should have been. And James Gunn is actually a gamer, so having someone who’s passionate about it is super helpful. Warner Bros. Games is actively working with him and Safran on the core franchises within the DC Universe.
Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean a full synergy between what’s happening in the TV/movie and gaming spaces should be expected.
While they’re working on a Superman movie title, we’re not going to launch a Superman game purely because we feel obligated. We have to do something that makes sense for the gaming strategy and for fans and for the consumer.
Warner Bros. is also considering the idea of adding games to their Max subscription service, not unlike what Netflix is doing, although that will come after they’ve established a solid foundation for Max.
As for Hogwarts Legacy, developer Avalanche Software has provided a brief update on what’s coming. The studio said new features and updates would be introduced to Hogwarts Legacy ‘later this Summer’ alongside the previously exclusive PlayStation content. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 gamers had access to the Haunted Hogsmeade Shop quest, which included an explorable dungeon, the Shopkeeper’s Cosmetic Set reward, and the ability for players to set up their own shops, allowing them to sell items at more convenient rates.
Avalanche Software still hasn’t announced any paid DLC coming to Hogwarts Legacy. This could indicate they’d rather move on to make a sequel instead, although we don’t know for sure yet.
