Hogwarts Legacy made $1 billion for Warner Bros despite attempted boycotts

Warner Bros’ Hogwarts Legacy game continues to be one of the most successful titles of 2023, with the recent release confirmed to have hit 15 million copies sold already, as well as having grossed over $1 billion in sales.

Hogwarts Legacy has been one of the biggest games so far in 2023. On debut, the title was received positively by both fans and critics alike.

In Dexerto’s review of the game, we wrote that “Hogwarts Legacy’s beautifully crafted open world & castle completely immerse you in the life of an adventurous student, even if the main story stumbles.”

Alongside its critical reception, the game has also been a massive commercial success. Despite being surrounded by online controversy, Hogwarts Legacy has proven to be a smash hit among Harry Potter fans as well as gamers with no prior relationship with the franchise, despite a boycott.

At the end of February 2023, Dexerto reported that the game has hit 12 million copies in just 2 weeks, with impressive Twitch engagement numbers to boot as well. In a new earnings call, Warner Bros. has updated these numbers, CEO David Zaslav confirming that the game has passed 15 million sales. 

As well as this, the success of the game has meant that Hogwarts Legacy has already grossed over $1 billion dollars, despite only having been released at the beginning of February 2023.

Harry Potter franchise is on the up despite controversy with author J. K. Rowling

This game, as well as the confirmed Harry Potter TV series that is in the works, is just the beginning of what appears to be a resurgence for the franchise. While Warner Bros. did try their luck by creating a Fantastic Beasts trilogy, the films were unable to live up to the success of the original movie series. Now, however, momentum seems to be in their favor again.

The main reason many were boycotting Hogwarts Legacy prior to its release is because of its association with J. K. Rowling. The Harry Potter author has been accused of making transphobic comments on multiple occasions over the past few years.

LGBTQ+ media charity GLAAD has put together a list of all the comments that have been made by Rowling. However, the main point of concern is an essay published by the author on June 10, 2020, that listed “five reasons for being worried about the new trans activism”.

However, time will tell just how many copies Hogwarts Legacy sell all up. With new DLC rumored to be on the way, and past-gen console ports now available, there is a good chance that the speed at which the game is selling could continue.

For all the latest gaming news and updates, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.