Sparks are flying as speculation runs rampant over the sequel to the action role-playing hit Hogwarts Legacy. Though the game was confirmed by Warner Bros. Discovery’s chief financial officer as a project the company wants to pursue, no new official information on a Hogwarts Legacy sequel has been announced. Initially released in 2023, a new installment in the upcoming year seems unlikely due to the lack of information on the sequel and turn-around time.
While the year of the sequel’s release date may be under speculation, the date of the game’s release could be quite obvious. Though many would be excited to receive a Hogwarts Legacy sequel on September 1 in honor of the start of the Hogwarts school year, on Halloween to honor the passing of James and Lily Potter, on June 26 in honor of the original publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, or even on July 31 to celebrate the birthday of the boy who lived, another more official date comes to mind.
International Harry Potter Day Marks the End of the Second Wizarding War
The Battle of Hogwarts marks the end of the mainline story of Harry Potter, with the titular character uniting with his fellow students, teachers, and members of the Order of the Phoenix, to defeat Voldemort and the Death Eaters on the hallowed grounds of Hogwarts. After a year of hiding, fleeing and fighting foes, and searching for horcruxes, Harry Potter and his allies finally win the Second Wizarding War on May 2nd, 1998.
Officially declared by then-British Prime Minister David Cameron in 2012, May 2nd is now known as International Harry Potter Day. It’s worth noting that the company has yet to make any official celebrations for International Harry Potter Day, but Warner Bros. Discovery celebrated Back to Hogwarts Day (September 1) this year with a variety of celebrations internationally in New York City, Berlin, and Lyon. This sets a precedent for Warner Bros. Discovery interacting with fans of the Harry Potter franchise on at least one of its important dates. It wouldn’t be surprising for the company to expand celebrations to one of the franchise’s official international holidays.
The release year of a Hogwarts Legacy sequel is also under immense speculation. Warner Bros. Discovery has only mentioned that a Hogwarts Legacy sequel is a priority project for the future, with no other information publicly known. Therefore, no one is sure how far the game is in development, if at all. Though every video game takes a different amount of time in development, most PC and console games take between three and five years to develop. Considering that the sequel has been confirmed and this set range of time, releasing the game on an upcoming anniversary could work in the game’s favor.
30 Years Since the Battle of Hogwarts
May 2nd, 2028 will mark thirty years since the end of the Second Wizarding War. Releasing the next Hogwarts Legacy installment on this date would allow for the game to fall into a typical development time that many AAA video games receive. Though the first Hogwarts Legacy game did not release on International Harry Potter Day, its release year of 2023 did mark twenty-five years since the Battle of Hogwarts. Gamers who followed its development closely may recall that Hogwarts Legacy was delayed twice, meaning that Warner Bros. Discovery arguably did not honor the fictional anniversary intentionally. However, the company has the opportunity to rectify this by celebrating the end of the war’s 30th anniversary in four years.
Though Hogwarts Legacy may take place about a hundred years before Harry Potter’s birth, he nevertheless remains the epicenter of the franchise. Honoring and remembering important dates in his life and in the franchise would be a great move for Warner Bros. Discovery, considering Hogwarts Legacy has yet to establish any important dates in its canon. Nevertheless, Potterheads can turn back their time turners and replay Hogwarts Legacy until more information about its sequel is announced.
