Steph Deschamps / May 7, 2023
The Hogwarts Legacy video game from the Harry Potter universe has sold more than 15 million units and generated more than $1 billion worldwide since its Feb. 10launch, its publisher announced.
Developed by the studio Avalanche Software and published by the label Portkey Games of the giant Warner Bros., "Hogwarts Legacy" proposes to embody a student of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the early 19th century, with courses of magic and multiple quests to achieve.
Globally acclaimed by critics and fans, the title had sparked, even before its release, heated debates in the video game community and beyond because of the controversial stance taken by J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter saga, on the rights of transgender people.
It had been the subject of calls for a boycott by some players and streamers, without the controversies having any particular impact on the popularity and sales of the game.
The official "Hogwarts Legacy" website states that Ms. Rowling was not involved in the creation of the game.
First released on the next-generation consoles PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC, the game is available since Friday on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, before its release in the summer on Nintendo Switch.
Another highly anticipated game dedicated to quidditch, the favorite sport of wizards, "will arrive next year," according to a representative of Warner Bros. who owns the rights to the saga.