Hogwarts Legacy 2: will the game be ruined now?

So there you have it. Warner Bros. has officially confirmed the development of Hogwarts Legacy 2 in an interview with industry magazine Variety. This comes as no surprise. As well as being «the best Harry Potter game of all time», Hogwarts Legacy was an overwhelming success when it was released in 2023, with the game selling over 30 million copies at (virtual) stores. No other game shifted more copies in the same year.

More surprisingly, however, Hogwarts Legacy 2 will be closely interwoven with the upcoming HBO Harry Potter series, which is expected to premiere in 2026. Together, they form the opening gambit of a comprehensive franchise offensive, as confirmed by David Haddad, President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, in his Variety interview.

But is this good or bad news?

Hogwarts Legacy 2: is the game closer to the books?

David Haddad explains that Hogwarts Legacy 2 will further expand the open game world and the magical story that bewitched fans. David even promises that the development of the second part is now «high priority». That sounds good, as the first game allowed players to explore Hogwarts and the surrounding area in the 1800s – with a story that takes place independently of Harry Potter and his time.

David confirms that the latter is likely to change. And that’s exactly what worries me. The game and HBO series storylines are set to be linked. «Our experience with Hogwarts Legacy has shown us that fans – regardless of age – have a strong interest in new yet familiar content,» says David.

While the Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment President didn’t reveal any specific repercussions on the game’s plot, he seemed to at least suggest that the Hogwarts Legacy 2 story will be much closer to the first book by J. K. Rowling – in terms of time if nothing else, as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is set in 1991.

This certainly raises criticism. One key to the success of Hogwarts Legacy was in deliberately triggering nostalgia with the familiar setting, which some might dismiss as «cheap» or «superficial». But by the same token, the historical setting of the 1800s offered enough distance from the original to tell a fresh, unused story. This perfect mix is now being jeopardised by interweaving the game and series in a forced way.

On the other hand, Hogwarts Legacy 2 could tell stories that discerning fans like me would’ve liked to have seen in the series.

Imagine an adventure with James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew in their school days – and how the Marauder’s Map came to be. Or what if players finally get to witness the founding of the Order of the Phoenix and the start of the war against Voldemort? Maybe we could go to class with Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald and later find out how these two powerful wizards fell out and what really happened to Dumbledore’s sister – an important plot that was never told in the books, only hinted at.

We were probably meant to uncover the whole truth in the Fantastic Beasts series, but after just three films it’ll probably be discontinued due to dwindling success, as Dumbledore actor Jude Law recently confirmed. Will Hogwarts Legacy 2 now fill those shoes?

More Harry Potter projects in the pipeline

In addition to Hogwarts Legacy 2, Warner Bros. has a number of other projects planned in the Harry Potter universe. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions was recently released, while a remastered version of the Lego Harry Potter series is in the works. Various mobile games are also in development and a large area of the new Universal theme park Epic Universe in Orlando is going to be dedicated to the wizarding universe.

The Harry Potter offensive is only just picking up speed, like a runaway Hogwarts Express.