Summary
The Game Awards came and went last week, giving praise to a handful of projects released in 2023 that pushed the industry forward. From the Game of the Year nominees as well as a few glimpses into the future with Arkane’sBladeandKojima’sODannounced, the evening was a celebration of the industry, yetHogwarts Legacywas left without an impact on the show.
Hogwarts Legacywasn’t nominated for any award in the lead-up to the big day, which called into question how it is perceived by players and industry people alike. The success of the Avalanche Software-developed game warrants more in the universe, but the snub this year could be a canary in the coal mine for the future.
Hogwarts Legacy’s Future Could be Bright
ThoughHogwarts Legacyfollows a longline ofHarry Pottergames, it’s by far the most creative and unique. It’s one of the first times that the license has been added to a gaming release rather than adapted, with a story that is set around 100 years before the events of the main series of books and films. It’s the best-selling game of the year, so a sequel seems like a formality, and could also serve as a good opportunity to iron out some of the issues that plagued the 2023 release.
The tale was somewhat unremarkable, and though it’s a landmark moment forHarry Potterin gaming, it doesn’t do anything to move the needle in the RPG space, instead opting to play it safe with some of its mechanics, narrative moments, and presentation quirks.Hogwarts Legacyis a valiant first effortand a great basis for improvement. In a year littered with exceptional experiences includingBaldur’s Gate 3,andThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, however, there was little hope of it snatching the coveted Game of the Year accolade at the Game Awards.
Hogwarts Legacy was Nowhere to be Seen at The Game Awards
In fact,Hogwarts Legacy’s place at the Geoff Keighley showcase was non-existent. It wasn’t even nominated for the fan-voted Player’s Choice award, which consisted of the aforementioned games as well asCyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty,Genshin Impact, andSpider-Man 2. For a title that has been dominant all year to be ignored by the show was strange and could be the start of a trend asHogwarts Legacylies on unstable ground.
The Game Awards Showed A Problem With Harry Potter Content
Hogwarts Legacyis a title that sold astronomically well and continues to shift units as players have largely enjoyed their stay atHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardryin the late 1800s. Critically, however, the game’s acclaim has been more mixed. Its place in the AAA space has been challenged by some as its attachment to J.K. Rowling has caused some to greet the experience with hesitation, and The Game Awards nominations have only gone on to fuel that feeling that it is being ostracized by association.
Hogwarts Legacytopped 15 million sales in May 2023, just three months after it launched in February. It has generated over $1 billion in revenue.
Some may argue thatHogwarts Legacyis simply not of a high enough quality to rival the likes ofBaldur’s Gate 3andSea of Starsin the category of Best Role-Playing Game, nor the best action-adventure title, as that group was dominated byTears of the KingdomandAlan Wake 2. Its absence at the Game Awards could be a sign that it will happen again regardless of a potential sequel’s quality, and in doing so it could create an even bigger divide between players who are either enjoying or boycotting the budding Avalanche Software series.
Hogwarts Legacy
WHERE TO PLAY
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. For the first time, experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Now you can take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it.Explore an Open WorldThe wizarding world awaits you. Freely roam Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Overland area.Be the Witch or Wizard You Want to beLearn spells, brew potions, grow plants, and tend to magical beasts along your journey. Get sorted into your house, forge relationships, and master skills to become the witch or wizard you want to be Experience a New Wizarding World AdventureExperience the wizarding world in an unexplored era to uncover a hidden truth from its past. Battle against trolls, Dark Wizards, goblins, and more as you face a dangerous villain threatening the fate of the wizarding world.
