While there’s always the chance of another game swooping in and taking the top spot, it’s looking increasingly likely thatHogwarts Legacyis going to be the top-selling new game release of 2023. The road toHogwarts Legacy’s release has been equal parts hype and controversy, but assuming Avalanche Software and Warner Bros. Interactive can stick the landing in February, there’s a good chance the game will be the best-selling release all year.
Hype has been high forHogwarts Legacysince the game was first revealed in 2020. While there have been manyHarry Pottervideo gamesreleased over the years, most have been film adaptations and cash-grabs.Hogwarts Legacy, for lack of better words, is a proper video game, with a big budget and clearly a lot of love for the source material. It’s looking to tell an original story in the Wizarding World and allowHarry Potterfans to live their Hogwarts dreams in an open world setting, which is a clear recipe for financial success.
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Hogwarts Legacygameplay showcaseshave only served to makeHarry Potterfans even more excited about the game. Fans are excited to attend classes at Hogwarts, unravel the mysteries behind the plot, fly over the castle grounds on a broomstick, interact with magical creatures, and square off against other witches and wizards in duels. Of course, there’s always the possibility thatHogwarts Legacywill fail to live up to the hype, but it’s looking more likely than ever that the game will meet expectations, and that in turn could easily translate into sales success. But even ifHogwarts Legacyfalls short with fans and critics, the stars are aligned to ensure that the game could still easily walk out of 2023 as the best-selling new game release of the year.
There May Not Be a New Call of Duty Game This Year
There’s a reason why Sony is so afraid about the possibility of Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard and gaining control of the company’sCall of Dutyfranchise.Call of Dutyis fairly consistently at the top of the sales charts each year, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change any time soon. Therecently releasedCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, despite releasing to more mixed reviews than its predecessors, has in fact been crowned the best-selling game of 2022.
Chances are good if Activision releases a new full-scaleCall of Dutygame in 2023 that it too will be the best-selling game of the year overHogwarts Legacy. However, reports from reputable insiders have suggested that theCall of Dutyfranchise is taking a break this year. If the reports are to be believed, there will be no new main seriesCall of Dutygame released in 2023, and instead, fans will be treated topremium campaign DLC forModern Warfare 2. Activision has pushed back against these claims, but a gap year like this would help get the variousCall of Dutystudios back on track with their development schedules.
A newCall of Dutygame has released every single year sinceCall of Duty 2in 2005, so noCall of Dutyin 2023 would be shocking to see, but understandable considering the circumstances.IfCall of Dutywas ever going to skip a year, it would be this one, and if it does, it would meanHogwarts Legacy’s biggest potential competitor would be a non-factor.
Hogwarts Legacy is a Multi-Platform Game
It’s true that 2023 is stacked with major new game releases, but many of the biggest titles announced for this year so far are restricted to specific platforms.Spider-Man 2from Insomniac Games will surely be a huge hit, but it’s expected to be a PlayStation 5 exclusive, meaning it won’t even have the massive PS4 install base to work with like it would if it were a cross-gen release.Starfieldis coming to PC and Xbox Series X, andThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis a Nintendo Switch exclusive.Hogwarts Legacyis not only a cross-gen release, but it’s coming to every major gaming platform there is.
RELATED:Some Hogwarts Legacy Players Are Upset About PlayStation Exclusive Quest
On February 10,Hogwarts Legacyis going to release for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Then, a couple of months later on April 4, those that are still playing on PS4 and Xbox One can see what all the fuss is about. Finally, July 25 will seeHogwarts Legacydrop for the Nintendo Switch. And since the Nintendo Switch is one of the best-selling consoles of all time and has a massive install base of more casual gamers who may be interested inHarry Potter, one has to imagine it will do quite well on Nintendo’s home console/handheld hybrid.
Whereas most of the otherbig new game releases for 2023are limited,Hogwarts Legacyis coming out for basically every platform. This fact alone will give it a serious leg up over the competition and honestly may well be enough to secure its spot as the top-selling game of 2023.
Hogwarts Legacy Pre-Orders Are Through the Roof
The bulk ofHogwarts Legacy’s sales will happen post-launch, but the game has already sold plenty of copies before it’s even hit store shelves.Hogwarts Legacypre-order data from Steamhas revealed that the game is being pre-ordered on a large scale through Valve’s digital storefront, to the point where it is outpacing the sales of games that are available now. This is a rare thing to see on Steam, but it shows thatHogwarts Legacyis going to have a monumental debut come February 10.
Besides the general hype for the game drivingHogwarts Legacypre-orders, there’s also the early access factor to take into account. Anyone thatpre-orders theHogwarts LegacyDigital Deluxe Editionor Collector’s Edition will get 72 hours early access to the game, meaning they can start playing on February 7 instead of February 10. SinceHarry Potterfans have been waiting years to playHogwarts Legacy, it’s not surprising at all that many are jumping at the opportunity to play the game early.
Having such a significant number of pre-orders may help create a buffer forHogwarts Legacyso that even if the game turns out to be lackluster and loses sales from those on the fence, it could still very well be crowned the best-selling game of 2023 by the time it’s all said and done.
Hogwarts Legacy Boycotts and Pirating Potential
Hogwarts Legacy’s strong pre-orders are also a sign that the game likely doesn’t need to worry about pirates causing any significant damage to its sales, though there will definitely be those pirating the game. In fact, there’s a good possibility thatHogwarts Legacywill not only be the best-selling game of 2023, but also the most pirated. The dizzying hype behind the game will result in more people pirating it, of course, but there are also those who are pirating it out ofprotest ofHarry Potterauthor J.K. Rowling.
J.K. Rowling’s transphobic commentshave formed a dark cloud hanging overHogwarts Legacy, tainting the game’s reputation and stirring up controversy well before it’s been released to the public. There are many who have called onHarry Potterfans to boycott the game and pirate it instead. The argument being made is that this will hurt J.K. Rowling’s bottom line, though Rowling already has so much money that mass boycotts and pirating likely won’t mean much to her financial situation.
Regardless of the actual impact on Rowling’s finances, there are those who feel likepurchasingHogwarts Legacyis supporting transphobia. Many will indeed follow through on either piratingHogwarts Legacyor boycotting it entirely as a result, but even considering these factors,Hogwarts Legacystill seems like the most likely candidate to become the top-selling game of 2023.
Hogwarts Legacylaunches February 10 for PC, PS4, and PS5, April 4 for PS4 and Xbox One, and July 25 for Nintendo Switch.
