Warner Bros Games has reportedly cancelled an unannounced game expansion to Hogwarts Legacy, its smash-hit Harry Potter RPG. The DLC was planned to be released alongside an expanded version of the base game.
News comes to us via a Bloomberg report (thanks, IGN), which reveals that the paid DLC was supposed to launch alongside a "Definitive Edition" of Hogwarts Legacy. Apparently, the cancellation was due to concerns that "the amount of content was not substantial enough to justify the price being considered". Bloomberg asked WB for comment, but the publisher declined.
While never officially announced, the move to scrap Hogwarts Legacy DLC is surprising. Ignoring the obvious question as to why a lower price was not considered, the Harry Potter game supposedly forms one of the company's core pillars, around which it said it was reforming after the closure of multiple game studios earlier this year.
To put it bluntly, there are plenty of die-hard Potter-heads who would probably pay any price for more Hogwarts content, regardless of quality, and it's not like it would be the first (or last) time the publisher behind Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has taken a reputational hit over monetisation. We get the feeling there might be a bit more to this story.
What do you think is going on over at Portkey Games and Warner Bros Games, in a larger sense? Report to the dungeon for potions class in the comments section below.
[source ign.com, via bloomberg.com]
Comments 33
How tf is Warner Bros managing to make themselves look worse than Konami and EA?
Another case of Warner Bros showing they hate making money.
If it wasn't substantial enough, then like you say in the article, why not just charge a lower price for it?
I loved this game and I would have appreciated some form of expansion pack, even if it was only a few quests or something.
The entire company has been in complete shambles, they have no idea what they are doing with any of their divisions. They are cancelling projects and firing all over the place at a rapid rate, I have no faith in any game that comes out of this current WB.
Probably spinning the planned dlc into the tapestry of the sequel. Heads down, focus up. A sequel is where the real money and zeitgeist lies. A DLC as mediocre as I know this games' would be is snooze-provoking.
Another vote for just charge a lower price, or give it away for a bit of good publicity if it was that small.
I suspect there is another reason here - maybe 1 of the key voice actors didnt want to return?
Im sure I read something like this about maybe the male protagonist, but that was a bit after launch, and may have been reactionary to some of the silly 'opinions' that were around - ie considering 'the authors' views, not the good work the dev team had done counter to those views.
Not surprised. My guess is that WB won’t be making games anymore by the end of the year. As long as Zaslav runs the show things won’t be getting better.
@Nepp67 Andrew Wilson is a businessman and understands how to make money even if it isn’t a method he prefers. Zaslav is clueless and seems to hate money so much that I’d find it hard to believe the guy doesn’t burn it in his yard for bonfires. Such a bizarre company, I’m genuinely confused and not even annoyed at this point.
What legends, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!
Just when it seemed like they finally figured out a clear vision for the future of their gaming division, they go and do something as monumentally stupid as this. Why not just continue working on the DLC until it actually is substantial enough for release? Anything Hogwarts Legacy related is easy money in the bank. Thought WB understood that...
WB seems to be in a death spiral with Ubisoft - to see who will hit bottom first [edit - hadn't seen the Ubisoft+Tencent story at this point... still a close call IMO]. By that I mean they seem to be making bad decision after bad decision, seemingly unaware how bad they are or incapable of changing course. How many times have we heard they were consolidating their software devs to their main IPs - of which HP is always front and centre. Now apparently even that is getting short-changed.
I suppose we should be glad they didn't go the cash grab.... but does anyone actually buy that?
I was looking forwards to an expansion but never mind..its not like there's nothing to play at the moment is there?
WB movies keep scrapping finished movies as tax write off's so we shouldn't be too surprised. The whole WB brand seems to be running itself into the ground with really poor management
@Oz_Who_Dat_Dare We haven't had a major publisher close in a while. My money is on Warner Bro to hit rock bottom first
Considering Rocksteady were reportedly working on this I hope that means they are working on their own game now (rumours of Batman) and not about to be laid off
@get2sammyb I don't know why but I have a feeling they looked at games like Miles Morales, and they thought let's make even more money. I doubt WB felt they would "overprice" a piece of DLC for their best selling game
WB gaming division hates money.
This is really bad news for Rocksteady, as they were the ones who were working on this DLC.
I heard a rumour they are remaking Bloodborne and when it doesn't come to anything there will be a rumour that the rumoured remake has been cancelled.
Am I doing the rumour thing right?
Yet anoyher Warner Bros L.
One of the top selling games that could easily have dlc implemented and make tons more money. Nah.
Hmm surprising since that game is a money maker.
Maybe they do an AC Mirage? Where Ubisoft wanted a game-sized price tag for DLC, but realised the only way to do that was to do a lot more work on it and......actually make it game-sized as a game in its own right.
Or integrate that work into a sequel.
Personally speaking, it's been too long for me. If I installed and loaded up the game now (I competed the story at launch), I would not remember how to play.
Make it make sense!
You can always count on WB to get their priorities right, kudos guys.
I'd be shocked if they didn't just roll all those ideas into a Legacy 2. That's the most logical decision anyway. Definitive Edition will capture any potential double-dippers, a DLC on top is unlikely to make as much impact as a sequel in 3-4 years.
I'm pretty sure WB is run by AI.
I preffer that than they releasing a expensive small DLC. WB DLCs are usually very expensive.
Pop it in the sequel and get it out sooner 👍
So no more Hogwarts Legacy content, then.
At least we got a few extras, and the Haunted Shop side quest too. Although I found that one frustrating, rather than actually fun.
Let Avalanche pour all of their magic into the sequel. I cannot wait to see what they come up with.
@freddquadros even if that were the case, it'll eventually get a price cut. Unlike many games, Hogwarts Legends has been on discount several times already.
@DonJorginho Exactly! Harry Potter is pure magickal money and those of us who love that universe are wishing for as much content as possible! I wish instead giving up that they would have had us wait a little longer and created even more content, but alas...... I'm still holding out hope for HL2 and that they possibly add the DLC there too if applicable considering the time period they may be using
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