UPDATED: “Hogwarts Legacy” Owned the Video Game Charts in 2023

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After several delays and disappointments, it is fair to say that Hogwarts Legacy was well worth the wait, with 22 million copies sold in 2023, according to Warner Bros. Games. And the game managed to reach top spots on charts around the world, facing huge opponents.

Hogwarts Legacy reached the top of the charts in the United Kingdom, selling more physical copies than any other game last year. Over half of the game’s physical sales in the UK came from PlayStation 5 players, with the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch taking the other podium places. Hogwarts Legacy became the first game since 2013 to knock EA’s football game – which was released this year as EA Sports FC 24 after ending its partnership with FIFA – off the top spot.

Hogwarts Legacy was also named among the bestselling games on Steam in 2023 and one of the biggest launches of the year, measured by revenue earned in the first two weeks of release. The game was among the most played games, as measured by the most peak concurrent players, and one of the most played games on Steam Deck, according to daily active player counts throughout 2023. It was also one of the games with the highest number of registered controller sessions. We don’t know exactly where the game placed on these various lists, but given its success elsewhere, it seems likely to be near the top.

 

 

There was also impressive news when Google released its Year in Search, a compilation of the most searched terms in various categories. Hogwarts Legacy was the most searched video game of the year, beating The Last of Us, Connections, Battlegrounds Mobile India, and Starfield to the top spot.

Additionally, Warner Bros. Games released some fun in-game statistics.  During the 707 million hours played on the game in 2023, 593 million magical beasts were rescued, 819 million potions were brewed, 1.3 billion magical plants were harvested, and 4.9 billion dark wizards were defeated!

Were you one of the people who contributed to these impressive statistics?

UPDATE (January 26):

Circana’s executive director of video games, Mat Piscatella, noted in a recent report that Hogwarts Legacy was the bestselling video game in the United States in 2023, adding yet another impressive achievement to an overall successful year. If that weren’t enough, topping this chart in the US is somewhat of a phenomenon. Since Rock Band came out in 2008, the top sales spot has been dominated exclusively by Call of Duty or Rockstar Games. Hogwarts Legacy was evidently exceptional enough to break this trend.

 

 

Circana’s report neglects to mention any actual sales figures for the game but acknowledges that it ranked first in sales on PlayStation, second on Xbox, and fifth on Nintendo platforms. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 followed Hogwarts Legacy in overall sales, with Madden NFL 24 coming in third.

News this exciting warrants celebration. We’d say a virtual stroll through Hogwarts Legacy‘s stunning scenery is in order.

UPDATE (February 16):

There’s one more big accolade for Hogwarts Legacy. Nintendo recently released its financial results for 2023, which confirmed Hogwarts Legacy was the bestselling game worldwide. There was speculation that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom would overtake Hogwarts Legacy once Nintendo’s digital sales were added to the mix, but despite Zelda putting up a fight and managing an incredible 20.28 million copies itself, the magic of Hogwarts won this battle with its previously reported 22 million copies sold.

With yet more celebrations in order, it’s time to make a feast and adventure through the game’s magical landscapes once again.

Neave Williamson

I've been a proud Slytherin for as long as I can remember, and love taking inspiration from the Wizarding World for short films.