Warner Bros. Confirms Sequel to Hogwarts Legacy, Eyes 2026 Release
At the start of 2024, Warner Bros. took a well-deserved victory lap over the massive success of Hogwarts Legacy. WB Interactive Entertainment president David Haddad announced in early January that the game had sold over 22 million copies throughout 2023—more than 2 million during the festive period alone—making it the “best-selling game of the year in the entire industry worldwide.”
This level of success was hardly unexpected. Despite controversies surrounding the franchise’s creator, J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter brand remains one of the most lucrative media franchises globally, out-earning even the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Call of Duty. Hogwarts Legacy marked a milestone for the Wizarding World, as it was the first standalone, big-budget game set in the universe, and fans had been eagerly awaiting such an offering for years.
Given the game’s success, a sequel seemed inevitable, and now it’s official. WB Discovery’s CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels has confirmed that a Hogwarts Legacy follow-up is in the works, with a potential release window in mind.
“A successor to Hogwarts Legacy is one of the biggest priorities in a couple of years down the road,” Wiedenfels said during Bank of America’s 2024 Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference. “So there is certainly a significant growth contribution from that [games] business in our strategic outlook here.”
While Wiedenfels’ comments suggest a 2026 release, the timeline remains tentative. If accurate, the three-year gap between the original and the sequel mirrors the cadence of WB’s successful Arkham series. Though such a schedule might seem tight for a AAA title, WB Avalanche has already established the iconic Hogwarts setting, which could expedite development.
Interestingly, following the lukewarm reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, a Bloomberg report revealed that some of Rocksteady’s staff have shifted to work on an unannounced Hogwarts Legacy director’s cut. This development aligns with WB Avalanche potentially focusing all efforts on the sequel.
This new direction marks a significant evolution in Warner Bros.’s approach to the Wizarding World. During the Harry Potter movie heyday, WB was content with licensing games to EA for tie-ins. Now, the company is investing heavily in the gaming space, ensuring a steady flow of new Potter titles. One such upcoming game is Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, which re-imagines the wizarding sport while bringing back several beloved characters from the original series.
For fans, the magic continues—but for WB’s shareholders, the news couldn’t be sweeter. The wizarding world is about to get even bigger, with Hogwarts Legacy leading the charge into a new era of gaming.
