Category: Video Games

Harry Potter spinoff game Hogwarts Legacy managed to sell an astounding 22 million copies in 2023.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment president David Haddad confirmed the numbers when speaking with Variety. While the project did have the benefit of coming from an established IP, these are still impressive numbers. Warner Bros. Games adds that around 2 million copies were sold during the December holiday season alone.

Hadded went on to call it “the best-selling game of the year in the entire industry worldwide”: “That’s a position that typically is held by one of these incumbent’s sequel games and we’re so proud that we’ve been able to break into the top ranks,” he added.

Circana analyst Mat Piscatella analyst talked to IGN about the possibility of Hogwarts Legacy being 2023’s top game back in December, saying it was “certainly possible.” Should it truly come out on top (we still don’t know the final 2023 numbers for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3), it’ll mark the first time since 2009 that a Call of Duty or Rockstar game has not topped a yearly chart.

Warner Bros. added that Hogwarts Legacy has conjured up 707 million hours played as players sought after repeat playthroughs with different Houses. Additionally, would-be wizards have poured 819 million potions, plucked 1.3 billion plants, saved 593 million beasts, and beaten just less than 5 billion evil wizards.

Hogwarts Legacy launched for most platforms on February 10, too, meaning it had most of 2023 to score these numbers. It also came to Nintendo Switch in November.

We didn’t need to know about Warner Bros. Games’ success to suspect that the team might be brewing plans for more Harry Potter adventures, but Hadded still made sure to tease more projects. This includes a much-talked-about Quidditch experience, as well as “a series of other things” set in that universe.

“We don’t have any particular announcements on exactly how and when [the Quidditch game] is going to come to the market, but we are working to get it designed in a way just to delight fans,” Haddad said.

Hogwarts Legacy also charted well on PC, with Steam reporting the title as one of its most-played games of 2023. The Harry Potter video game was one of IGN’s best-reviewed games of the year. At launch, we said, “Its open-world adventure captures all the excitement and wonder of the Wizarding World with its memorable new characters, challenging and nuanced combat, and a wonderfully executed Hogwarts student fantasy that kept me glued to my controller for dozens of hours.”

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.

The highly anticipated Sins of the Flesh update for Cult of the Lamb hits PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, and PC, on January 16.

Developer Massive Monster revealed the release date alongside the contents of Sins of the Flesh, which includes the culmination of a long-running fan campaign for what was dubbed the “sex update”.

Things don’t get explicit as in the likes of Balder’s Gate 3, however, which was described as “big budget horny” by a developer, but takes more of a Pokémon approach. “When two Followers love each other very much, they might find an egg,” Massive Monster said. “Nurture the egg for it to hatch, then care for the offspring until they’re ready to pledge allegiance to your Cult.”

Sins of the Flesh also adds a new progression system which promises “more depth and complexity”. “By following the sinful path, your followers will delight in gluttonous rituals, vain buildings and wrathful doctrines. Invite your most loyal Followers to the inner circle of Disciples, a revamped levelling system of Follower progression.”

Shiny poop, baneful brooms, and bigger, better buildings should also improve things for players. “Shiny poops have special effects, like yielding fruitful crops and adding experience to your broom,” Massive Monster said.

“Levelling up your broom will make chores faster and more effective. To improve automation, there’s also a new tier for the Janitor Station and the Storage Structures so your Followers will take better care of themselves.” The Blunderbuss weapon, which fires big damage in the short range or snipes enemies from afar when charged, will also be added.

Massive Monster has joked about adding a “sex update” to Cult of the Lamb for a long time, and after overwhelming interest from fans, finally said it would do it if 300,000 people followed its X/Twitter account. Fans hit this number and then some immediately, of course, leading to the inclusion in Sins of the Flesh.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.