Warner Bros. Games has announced that “Hogwarts Legacy” achieved a significant milestone, crossing the 22 million copies sold mark by the close of 2023. Approximately 2 million units were sold during the December holiday season, contributing to the game’s remarkable success.

David Haddad, President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, expressed pride not only in the impressive sales figures but also in the game’s ability to captivate fans. Haddad emphasized how “Hogwarts Legacy” brought the Harry Potter universe to life in a fresh and immersive way, allowing gamers to immerse themselves in the magical world and storyline. The success of the game, which remains the best-selling title of the year globally, is attributed to the dedicated efforts of the development team at Avalanche Studio.

From its launch on February 10 to December 31, “Hogwarts Legacy” accumulated an impressive 707 million hours of gameplay. Notably, many fans revisited the game, opting for different Hogwarts houses to experience diverse storylines.

The in-game statistics provide additional insight into the players’ experiences, showcasing accomplishments such as 819 million potions brewed, 1.3 billion magical plants harvested, 593 million magical beasts rescued, and 4.9 billion dark wizards defeated within the virtual wizarding school.

In addition to “Hogwarts Legacy,” Warner Bros. Games celebrated the success of “Mortal Kombat 1,” released on September 14, which garnered more players for the franchise than ever before. The studio’s upcoming projects include the highly anticipated “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” on February 2 and the wide release of the free-to-play brawler game “MultiVersus,” featuring Warner Bros.-owned characters.

David Haddad highlighted the studio’s commitment to franchises, emphasizing their importance in keeping content relevant and exciting for fans. The focus on transforming major franchises involves transitioning from traditional console and PC-based releases to incorporating live services, multi-platform experiences, and free-to-play extensions. Haddad outlined the strategy of keeping live games vibrant with new content and services to enhance player engagement.

Looking ahead, Warner Bros. Games has a single-player open-world action Wonder Woman game in development, along with games contributing to the planned relaunch of the DC Universe by James Gunn and Peter Safran.

The studio’s commitment aligns with Warner Bros. Discovery’s broader strategy, as mentioned during Q3 earnings, emphasizing the transformation of major franchises to include more always-on gameplay through live services and multi-platform, free-to-play extensions. Haddad reiterated the overarching goal of maximizing engagement with fans through content releases, updates, and live services, highlighting the pivotal role games play in achieving this objective.