Hogwarts Legacy 2 in Danger? This Decision Could Change Everything

While Hogwarts Legacy 2 seems to have been confirmed in a job offer, its future could be called into question. Things are not going well at Warner.

Warner Bros. Games is not in the best of shape. Hogwarts Legacy was a hit, but on top of that, the flop of Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League hurt a lot. In the process, the company recorded a loss of $200 million, in addition to tarnishing its image (for free). Faced with this, and a business that is not profitable enough, the management made a radical decision: to turn to free-to-play as well as service and mobile games. But in all likelihood, it would not be enough and a decision could change everything, especially for Hogwarts Legacy 2.

Shared custody soon for Warner Bros Games?

Suicide Squad has therefore cost Warner dearly, and it is currently looking for solutions to improve, because things have not been going well lately. Since the merger between Discovery and Warner Media (in 2022), the group’s share price has continued to plummet, with a colossal drop of 70%. A very worrying performance that would have triggered a general alert within management. According to information from the Financial Times, CEO David Zaslav and director Gunnar Wiedenfels have started thinking about selling off assets. And one of the options currently being considered would be the sale of a stake in the video games division.

It would not be a question of a total buyout of Warner Bros Games, as suggested on multiple occasions in the past, but of letting an actor (unspecified) enter this department. Which still leaves one wondering about the future of licenses. We recall that the company owns the studios behind Hogwarts Legacy, Batman Arkham and Mortal Kombat.

What about Hogwarts Legacy 2 for example? Normally, it is not in danger. A recent job offer even revealed that Avalanche Software was indeed working on an open-world action-RPG with magic-based combat. This is good news, but not completely. In the description, it is clearly mentioned “live ops”, in other words a game service dimension. Moreover, Warner has not hidden its ambition. “Wouldn’t it be fun to have a game like Hogwarts Legacy as a service, where people can come and live, work and play on a regular basis?” said CEO David Zaslav. But while Harry Potter may seem untouchable, pushing the game service slider too far could lead to disaster. Hogwarts Legacy was a success because it was a quality single-player experience that respected the license.

Hogwarts Legacy, Batman Arkham, Mortal Kombat in evil?

On the other hand, The Dark Knight is not in the best of shape. Batman Arkham Shadows arrives this fall… exclusively on Meta Quest 3. But as we know, virtual reality remains a niche market, so it’s not the ideal way to capitalize on the aura of the Gotham vigilante. On the other hand, that doesn’t take anything away from the potential quality of the game.

Then there is also the case of Mortal Kombat 1 which does not seem to move the crowds as much as expected. The policy of DLC and microtransactions has already scared away players, and its existence on the esports scene is “complicated”. The Eyeballistic studio, which develops in particular on smartphones, could however design a new MK game. A free to play to match the aspirations of Warner management? It is possible.

It is unclear where this possible sale of shares in Warner Bros Games will lead, but if it is confirmed, what will be the next step? Selling licenses or renting them to a video game giant? Getting rid of the video game division completely? What will be the future of Hogwarts Legacy 2 itself, which is out of danger for now? This is the big unknown at the time of writing, but this decision, if taken by WarnerMedia, could already have repercussions on the group’s video game business.

Source: Financial Times.