Look, we knewHogwarts Legacywas going to get a sequel.It sold like hotcakes, and the series isn’t running out of gas anytime soon. Even thoughthe DLC for the original game was canceled, it may have been to go full steam ahead on the follow-up,Hogwarts Legacy 2,which we now know a few alleged details about thanks to a leak.
One huge element of the original game that was completely missing was multiplayer.This came as a relief to some, asHogwarts Legacywas a rare release from WB that was single-player only and campaign-focused, but others pined for some form of multiplayer in the Wizarding World.Well, they may now be getting it, with all the presumed microtransactions that it could bring.Ideally, it’s done more elegantly thanSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Might Be A Live-Service Game
Fans Will No Doubt Be Divided
Let’s go over what we know thanks to the recent job postings at Avalanche Software and WB. According to the listings, they will be working onan “online multiplayer RPG,“with the Lead Narrative Designer responsible for “crafting narratives that adapt to multiplayer frameworks.” There is also a posting that talks about “dynamic dialog that responds to player actions and interactions in real-time multiplayer settings.”
It’s important to point out that while the WB listings do not point toHogwarts Legacy 2directly, the timing and involvement of Avalanche is suspicious, given that they are not known to be working on any game at the moment other thanHogwarts Legacy 2. WB is also reorganizing all of its gaming divisions specifically aroundGame of Thrones, DC comics,Mortal Kombat, andHarry Potter. With 34 million copies sold forHogwarts Legacy,doubling down on multiplayer and the monetizationof the follow-up would be a move right out of WB’s playbook.
Because of how vastly different multiplayer games are in the modern era, both in terms of quality and monetization, this could go any number of ways. One of the worst eventualities I can think of is WB making the game remotely similar toSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, which was an infamous flopthat heavily tied the game to multiplayer and microtransactions. No IP is safe from WB when it comes to aggressive monetization, especially a golden goose likeHarry Potter.
The Game Itself Also Wasn’t Very Good
Given that WB themselves called the sales forSuicide Squad: Kill the JusticeLeague"disappointing,” it’s fair to say it did not do well at all.The game’s playerbase may even have more choice words for it, given that the “true ending” wasn’t actually provided at launch, and strung along players through sparingly released “updates” that continued the story. All of this wasan attempt to offerFortnite-style seasonal storytelling, which very few games manage to pull off before they stop providing content and enter maintenance mode (whichSuicide Squaddidearlier this year).
As someone who playedSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguethrough until the end, I can report that the live service elements weren’t solely responsible for its demise.It also simply wasn’t a good game, and lacked the typical level of quality that you’d expect from a Rocksteady release. The story was rushed and sloppy, the dialogue was lacking, and mechanically, it just wasn’t a very engaging action experience.
WB Games has been hit-and-miss for quite a while, andHogwarts Legacywas one of the few bonafide hits they’ve had in the past several years. Given how well it did as a fully-focused single-player old-school campaign experience (which is just as well given that it was aimed at a lot of younger players),it would be wild to see them potentially upend a successful franchisein the pursuit of live service.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Could Still Work As An Online Game
WB Could Learn From Past Mistakes
There are paths forward forHogwarts Legacy 2if WB decides to go the live service route, and there is certainly a chance it could be financially successful either way, given the general strength of the IP.With a strong content cadence and a focus on cosmetic microtransactions,players could get sucked into different ongoing stories centered around the Wizarding World, beyond the scope of what was offered in the original.
Just likeFallout 76,I can see some value in “away missions,“where teams are plopped into a familiar but far-away location to complete objectives. Given the existence of the Floo Network for easy teleportation, this already fits with the establishedHarry Potterlore. The “dynamic dialog” for characters mentioned in the job listing could deal with quips and jokes while in a party, through a pre-selected voice category when selecting your character. If 90% of the game is still campaign-based, but you have the option to enter dungeons with classmates, it could be the best of both worlds.
Bottom line,Hogwarts Legacy 2could have a massive leg up onSuicide Squadif it delivers a fully-fledged campaign that doesn’t feel like the live service element compromised the entire release. If the sequel is fully framed around a live service element, it could face an uphill battle.
