A Successor To Hogwarts Legacy Is 'One Of The Biggest Priorities,' Confirms Warner Bros. CFO

Zinger Key Points
  • Warner Bros. Discovery confirms Hogwarts Legacy 2 is in development, following the first game's $1 billion success.
  • Despite setbacks like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Warner Bros. views its games division as a strategic asset.

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc WBD has confirmed that a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy, one of its biggest gaming successes to date, is in development.

With over 24 million copies sold since its release in February 2023, Hogwarts Legacy has generated over $1 billion in revenue, making a follow-up nearly inevitable. Warner Bros.

See Also: Warner Bros. Shifts Focus After Suicide Squad Flop, Bets Big On Free-To-Play Success

Discovery's Chief Financial Officer, Gunnar Wiedenfels, recently spoke to Variety, affirming that Hogwarts Legacy 2 is a top priority for the company moving forward.

“Obviously, a successor to Hogwarts Legacy is one of the biggest priorities in a couple of years down the road,” Discovery's Chief Financial Officer, Gunnar Wiedenfels told Variety. “So there is certainly a significant growth contribution from that [games] business in our strategic outlook here.”

Warner Bros. Games: A Year Of Highs And Lows

2024 has proven to be a challenging year for Warner Bros.' gaming division. Most notably, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, developed by Rocksteady Studios, received widespread criticism following its February 2024 launch. The game’s poor reception led to financial setbacks for Warner Bros., with the company acknowledging that the title contributed to a $200 million revenue hit.

The game's failure has had lasting consequences, including layoffs at Rocksteady. According to a Bloomberg report, the studio is currently focused on a director's cut of Hogwarts Legacy. There are also rumors circulating that Rocksteady may pivot back to single-player games, moving away from live-service models following the struggles with Suicide Squad.

Warner Bros. Games: Strategic Asset Despite Setbacks

Despite the ups and downs, Wiedenfels stressed the continued importance of the games division to Warner Bros.' overall strategy. “The games business continues to be a strategic asset for the company,” he said. Titles like Mortal Kombat and MultiVersus have remained strong contributors.

In addition to the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy sequel, Warner Bros. recently released Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, a standalone multiplayer title that operates separately from the core Hogwarts Legacy universe. Other notable projects include Batman: Arkham Shadow, a virtual reality game set in the Arkham universe, and a Wonder Woman game under development by Monolith Productions, best known for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Read Next:

Image courtesy of WB Games via Steam.

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Comments
Loading...
Posted In: GamingNewsTop StoriesGeneralgamingGunnar WiedenfelsHarry PotterHogwarts Legacyvideo gamesWarner Bros. Games
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!