Hogwarts Legacy 2 Could Divide Fans With Supposed Major Change

Since its release back in 2023, Hogwarts Legacy has maintained a steady place among the most popular RPGs. Harry Potter fans and RPG lovers alike have flocked to the single-player open-world RPG that lets you live out life as a Hogwarts student. But as the game gets on in years, many players are looking ahead to the sequel. Warner Bros has confirmed that Hogwarts Legacy 2 is in development, but beyond that, official details are scarce.

Although Warner Bros and Avalanche Studios haven’t given us much about the Hogwarts Legacy sequel, rumors abound. Fans are eager to hear what’s next for the series, and that means scraping up every detail we can get. But recent job listings at Avalanche Studios seem to double down on a previous rumor about live service elements, along with a multiplayer focus. And moving Hogwarts Legacy 2 in that trend-chasing direction could be a massive mistake.

Hogwarts Legacy Could Be The Next Victim of the “Everything Must Be Multiplayer” Trend

These days, many studios have come to believe that games must have two things to succeed: live service elements and a multiplayer focus. Certainly, there’s a reason this opinion has become so popular. After all, games like Marvel Rivals and Battlefield 6 have performed incredibly well due to just such elements. But that doesn’t mean every game needs them, or that every audience wants to play the next big MMORPG or live-service shooter.

One might think Warner Bros. should have learned this lesson already, with big live service stumbles like MultiVersus and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. And yet, it looks like Hogwarts Legacy 2 just might try to capitalize on the company’s biggest IP by leaning into these trends.

Rumors about live service elements for Hogwarts Legacy 2 have already been making the rounds. But now, Avalanche Studios is looking to hire people to help work on an “online multiplayer RPG.” Given that the studio tends to focus on one project at a time, many gamers are speculating that this means Hogwarts Legacy 2 may well be an MMORPG. At the very least, it will likely lean heavily into multiplayer elements if it’s the project Avalanche is currently hiring for.

Of course, it’s always possible that there’s another multiplayer game at Avalanche, or that they’re prepping for what’s next after Hogwarts Legacy 2. But that doesn’t seem super likely, while trying to chase a trend that so many studios are leaning into certainly does. Except that it is a pretty big misunderstanding of what makes Hogwarts Legacy so popular, and is likely to backfire.

Solid Single-Player RPGs Still Have a Place, So Let Hogwarts Legacy 2 Be One of Them

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With so many multiplayer and live service games performing well, many game developers seem to forget there’s still a market for single-player RPGs. Yet the success of Hogwarts Legacy itself is proof of concept, which is why it’s a bit wild to think the sequel might diverge from this formula. Yes, there’s a place for hopping into a game like Marvel Rivals with friends, or eagerly embracing crossplay in Baldur’s Gate 3. But many of us still want games that deliver an engaging and immersive experience for the solo gamer.

It’s undeniable that Hogwarts Legacy owes much of its success to the juggernaut IP that is Harry Potter. But I don’t think that’s the whole story. Yes, running around Hogwarts is fun, but more than that, it’s exciting to have a robust open-world RPG that’s truly designed for solo gamers. Not all of us want to coordinate schedules with friends or navigate the trenches of random online matchmaking. For many, gaming is a way to let off steam and relax after the stress of our daily lives, including dealing with other people. And Hogwarts Legacy lets you do just that in a visually stunning, magical world.

To make Hogwarts Legacy 2 a multiplayer game with live service elements would be to completely misjudge what made the first game work. Fans love the cozy, take it at your own pace gameplay that Hogwarts Legacy offers. We like exploring and uncovering the story, immersed in a magical world that has a special place in so many hearts. Having other random people running around our world, or gameplay that relies upon or demands other players, would make the game nothing like a true sequel to Hogwarts Legacy at all.

There may well be a place for a Harry Potter MMORPG. After all, The Lord of the Rings Online remains highly popular for a reason. Fans love to connect with others who love a big IP and explore that world with them, and I’m sure plenty of people would welcome a multiplayer Harry Potter game. But I think calling such a thing Hogwarts Legacy 2 would be an insult to fans who loved the original game for what it is.

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