Hogwarts Legacy 2: WB’s Live Service Aims Are Buzzkill For The Sequel

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Abiyan

At Tech4gamers, I cover all sorts of gaming news. Whether it’s a leak of any upcoming game or an update, an announcement, or a rumour, I like to write about it all. Over the weekend, I sit and write features where I talk about games that I miss or want to see return.

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Last year was my personal favorite for gaming as it was full of twists and turns, with newcomers springing onto the scene and familiar IPs breaking new ground. Among those, Hogwarts Legacy debuted in early 2023 and ended up as the best-selling new IP of 2023.

Of the millions that bought Hogwarts Legacy last year, I was thoroughly impressed by Avalanche Software’s recreation of the Wizarding World. However, with recent rumors about the sequel going live service, most of my excitement has gone down the drain.

If the failure of Suicide Squad proves anything, it’s that live service is not a great match for every game. Forcing it into a primarily single-player series could, therefore, lead to devastating results.

Why it matters: Each game has its own strengths, making it difficult to shift genres so drastically from one entry to another.

Turning Hogwarts Legacy Into Another Cash Grab

Live-service games rarely have the soul that is found in single-player titles.

From my time playing games like Suicide Squad and Skull and Bones, it seems most studios forget to make the game as great as possible, instead prioritizing microtransactions and player retention through grindy mechanics.

Imagine being forced to play x amount of hours to unlock new spells in Hogwarts Legacy 2 through a Battle Pass or having to buy new cosmetics for customization. That would be enough to dissuade me from picking up the sequel to a game I enjoyed immensely last year.

Hogwarts Legacy’s real potential was untapped in many ways. I wished to see the sequel expanding its open-world and RPG elements, further adding to the Wizarding World fantasy.

However, if Warner Bros plans to make live service a core part of the game, it will undoubtedly take resources away from core elements. Even fans of the game have come forth and created a petition to stop the live-service push.

Live Service Games Are A Hit Or Miss 

Live Servies games are not guaranteed to be successful. One wrong move and years of development end up wasted in this competitive genre.

Only a few titles like Helldivers 2 come to mind when thinking about recent live-service successes. However, for every success, there are a dozen failures. Ultimately, it’s impossible to predict the fate of live-service titles.

Meanwhile, a potential Hogwarts Legacy sequel building on the foundations of its predecessor would be immediately welcomed by millions of returning players.

Going the live-service route would have the opposite impact. Like me, millions across the globe do not care much about anything live service. Therefore, I don’t see this as a wise move.

Fans like me already have certain expectations from the sequel. We want to see the game improving upon the elements that worked well the first time. Besides, Warner Bros can always experiment with spin-offs for live service.

There is little reason to sacrifice its biggest IP in an attempt to follow market trends. Moving forward, I will keep my expectations in check. Knowing that there is a possibility of Hogwarts Legacy 2 falling victim to the horrors of live service, my anticipation has gone down considerably over the last month.

Abiyan

[News Reporter]

Abiyan is on track to complete his Computer Science bachelor’s degree. His enthusiasm for writing and gaming motivates him to keep readers and gamers updated with the latest information from the industry. In his free time, Abiyan enjoys playing Dota 2 and Rocket League. Abiyan has also been cited in reputed websites such as Kitguru, Comicbook, GamingBible, Eurogamer and Gamingbolt.