Few games in 2023 rivaled the excitement and controversy of Hogwarts Legacy. Perhaps to its advantage, the game received a lot of negative attention due to the history of the Harry Potter IP, barring it from any nominations at The Game Awards.
However, one month later, the title has emerged as the UK’s best-selling physical game of 2023.
Why it matters: Typically, games like FIFA and Call of Duty end up as the best-selling games each year, requiring a gigantic release to match these games.
For the first time in ten years, EA's football game was not the UK's No.1 boxed game of the year. Hogwarts Legacy ended 2023 as the UK's best-selling boxed game https://t.co/npKNOYTD8l
— GamesIndustry (@GIBiz) January 3, 2024
This information comes from Gamesindustry, which reports the incredible victory of Hogwarts Legacy.
According to the data, this is the first time in the decade that a new entry has dethroned EA’s FIFA franchise from the top-selling spot. While the data is limited to just physical copies, we expect that overall results combining digital and physical sales will tell a similar story.
The report notes that this upset was previously seen with the release of GTA 5 in 2013. Exactly ten years later, Avalanche Software changed everything, but we expect similar results from Rockstar Games once GTA 6 comes out in 2025.
Last month, many had already begun to predict an upset from Hogwarts Legacy. When Avalanche Software announced that the title was 2023’s best-selling new release, many began to anticipate Call of Duty’s reign in the US would be ended as well.
Sure enough, the first result looks quite promising. The title also became Google’s most-searched game this year, likely due to the curiosity of folks unaware of J.K. Rowling and the supposed boycott of the game.
Hogwarts Legacy had many appealing qualities, promising to become the ultimate Harry Potter simulator for long-time fans.
The fact that this was the first release of the IP after a long hiatus in the gaming industry made it an instant hit among the fans. A widespread controversy and marketing push from PlayStation were the icing on the cake, pushing the game to unexpected heights this year.
While spectacular, the game was not without its flaws. A sequel has reportedly begun development already, so we hope Avalanche Software can make significant improvements to its RPG formula, combat system, and more.
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