Hogwarts Legacy has a lot of Harry Potter fans excited. Even though there have been games based on the franchise for years, none have seemed to scratch the itch of really being a wizard in the universe of Harry Potter. With Hogwarts Legacy, many fans see an opportunity for their wildest dreams to come true as their character attends the legendary school of witchcraft and wizardry.
With rumors Hogwarts Legacy will release after the next Fantastic Beasts movie, some fans might be worried they’ll have to wait until 2023. However, a more reasonable and likely release time for Hogwarts Legacy is the back half of 2022. This would give Hogwarts Legacy plenty of time to capitalize on Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’s post-release hype, and coincide the time of year that Harry Potter tends to see its popularity as a franchise increase.
Hogwarts Legacy's Rumored Release Date
If Hogwarts Legacy waits until September or October of 2022 to release, it could find itself in a prime position to keep fans interested and capitalize on some of the busiest times for games. Many major titles pick this period before the holiday season to release, with November being a great time for people looking to play something new. Fall is in the northern hemisphere is also prime time for Harry Potter fans with Hogwarts nostalgia.
With the original Harry Potter movies connected to fall, Halloween, and the holiday season, waiting until just before then to release Hogwarts Legacy could help with the game’s commercial success, especially considering the shutdown of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite could leave a void. In the United States, it isn’t uncommon for television networks to run Harry Potter marathons around this time of year, and a media environment full of Harry Potter would keep the game on people’s minds. Simultaneously, it would create a window for fans to get comfortable with the game before the holidays.
Since November and December also have sales geared toward people looking to purchase gifts, establishing a community just before the season starts could bode well for Hogwarts Legacy’s future. It would allow players dedicated to the Harry Potter franchise a chance to get comfortable with the game and sell their friends on its content. With the right amount of time separating Hogwarts Legacy from Fantastic Beasts 3, it could theoretically create a perfect storm to keep players engaged.
Release times aren’t selected randomly, and while many gamers prefer the artistic aspect of games, they do still need to make money. Strategic release dates are nothing new, and even though Hogwarts Legacy isn't likely to use Unreal Engine 5 it still looks ambitious, and should aim for the best immediate market performance coupled with longevity. One of the best ways to attempt both is with a strong fall release date.
Emphasizing this are some open-ended comments from Warner Bros. general manager Rachel Wakley, who has previously highlighted the April release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore with a confirmation that Hogwarts Legacy would release after. While the statement doesn’t give an exact day, previous updates confirmed the push to a 2022 release window. It doesn’t mean another delay won't happen, as the global pandemic has taken a toll on every industry, but it seems likely fans won't have to wait longer than a year.
Everyone wants a concrete release date that will confirm the anticipated game as early as possible, as being excited for long periods can be an exercise in patience. Hogwarts Legacy was originally delayed in January, soon after its reveal, and it would make sense that if the decision was being made once again it would happen sooner than later. It wouldn’t necessarily mean anything bad, as games take a lot of time and effort to make, but fans should look to next fall as the most likely time to begin exploring the maze-like halls of Hogwarts for themselves.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy is believed to release in 2022 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.