After the huge critical and commercial success of Hogwarts Legacy, its sequel could be radically different. Warner Bros. Games has actually decided to change its strategy… and not necessarily for the better.
The American giant, which owns the rights to the film adaptations of Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, DC Comics and Harry Potter, has made a radical decision. Perette, CEO of Warner Bros. Games, made the announcement during a conference last night. If his new strategy is to be believed, things aren’t looking so good for Hogwarts Legacy 2…
An unrecognizable Hogwarts Legacy 2? It’s a bad start…
Regarding Warner Bros. games, a little context is in order. Due to its huge portfolio of intellectual property, the American giant participated in publishing excellent titles. Some of the most beautiful creations with the Warner label include the Arkham game series and, more recently, Hogwarts Legacy. With over 20 million sales, this was one of the biggest hits of 2023. A feat that can easily be described as magical! However, Warner Bros. games have also been major failures, most recently Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and a promising MultiVersus that was mysteriously pulled from the market.
You probably understand the parallel. On the one hand, we have extremely strong and promising solo experiences that enjoy both appreciation and exemplary commercial success. On the other hand, we have free service games that Warner investors say are not available “Company expectations not met”. And guess what the company’s CEO has decided for the future of its video game catalog? Only: No more free games and service games/mobile games! According to him, AAA game development is too “unstable.” The hospital throwing an Avada Kedavra to the ambulance?
« A clear growth opportunity thanks to this new strategy »
« We believe there is an opportunity for us and our four flagship franchises to develop a more holistic approach. We need to expand into cross-platform mobile and free-to-play experiences. This could provide us with more consistent revenue streams. You will also soon see our first free mobile games releasing soon. Secondly, we want to focus on service games rather than launching a game with a limited lifespan and a very long development cycle. Wouldn’t it be fun to offer a game like Hogwarts Legacy as a service where people can live, work and play on a regular basis?re ? »said the CEO of Warner Bros. Games.
“So we have the franchises, extremely talented studios, a roadmap and a strategic investment plan. Now all that remains is to build the business and we expect significant growth in the coming years.”, he concludes. Let’s really hope, especially for the sake of the talented studios in question, that the man isn’t completely wrong on all counts. The future will show…
