The Next Major Installment In the 'Harry Potter' Series Gets 2023 Release Date

Despite being mired in a whirlwind of controversy so big over the past couple of years that it would give a swarm of the soul-sucking Dementors a run for their Galleons, the Wizarding World remains as incredibly popular as ever. Who knows — perhaps real magic does exist.

But if we’re talking about the latest Fantastic Beasts movie, perhaps not so much, as it failed to wow audiences and critics, while performing about as much magic at the box office as you might expect from Mr. Filch. As such, the future of the spin-off series remains uncertain.

Mads Mikkelsen as Grindelwald — Credit: Warner Bros.

Elsewhere, however, Harry Potter doesn’t show any signs of stopping. And while fans are worried that Warner Bros., who recently axed the DC Extended Universe movie Batgirl (2022), will “reset” the Harry Potter franchise, there are still some exciting projects on the horizon.

Despite ongoing rumors of a Hogwarts-based TV series heading for HBO Max, the next entry in the Harry Potter franchise will be Hogwarts Legacy (2023), an open-world video game that will, for the first time, allow players to explore the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and beyond.

Check out the official trailer for Hogwarts Legacy below:

The trailer launched well over a year ago, and Harry Potter fans have been left waiting desperately for the game’s release since. But while Hogwarts Legacy was previously given a release window of 2022 “Q4”, unfortunately that has now changed, as recently announced by Portkey Games.

The label has confirmed via Twitter that Hogwarts Legacy will be released on February 10, 2023. Here’s what they said in their tweet:

“Hogwarts Legacy will launch on February 10, 2023 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. The Nintendo Switch launch date will be revealed soon. The team is excited for you to play, but we need a little more time to deliver the best possible game experience.”

Hogwarts Legacy will launch on February 10, 2023 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. The Nintendo Switch launch date will be revealed soon. The team is excited for you to play, but we need a little more time to deliver the best possible game experience. pic.twitter.com/zh0EsOvDb7

— Hogwarts Legacy (@HogwartsLegacy) August 12, 2022

While this will come as a blow to many Harry Potter fans eager to explore the many halls of Hogwarts and the dark woodland of the Forbidden Forest, there is of course a silver lining, in that we now finally have the actual Hogwarts Legacy release date, as opposed to a release window.

It should also be noted that the delay is due to the team behind the game needing “more time to deliver the best possible game experience”, as stated by Portkey Games in their tweet. This is promising news, as Hogwarts Legacy already looks like a truly epic Wizarding World experience.

There’s also a 15-minute gameplay overview, which reveals many exciting features, from all the different classes you can attend to the ability to fully customize your character:

As per Wikipedia, here’s the synopsis for Hogwarts Legacy:

Hogwarts Legacy is set in the late 1800s and follows a student starting at Hogwarts in their fifth year. The player character, who holds the key to an “ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart”, is capable of manipulating a mysterious ancient magic, and will need to help uncover why this forgotten magic has suddenly made a resurgence and the ones that are simultaneously trying to harness it. The player is able to interact with characters previously seen within the Wizarding World franchise including Nearly Headless Nick, The Fat Lady, and Peeves. The player character will also be introduced to new characters such as Professor Eleazar Fig, acting as a mentor figure to the protagonist. Antagonists featured in the game include Ranrok, the leader of the Goblin Rebellion, and Victor Rookwood, the leader of a group of Dark Wizards.

Thankfully, bad news for Harry Potter fans doesn’t always mean controversy. But recent years have seen the franchise plagued with scandal, from JK Rowling’s tweets regarding sexual identity, and more recently, the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial and Ezra Miller’s arrests.

Speaking of the former, it is rumored that Hogwarts Legacy will allow for transgender characters to be created. However, while JK Rowling is not in any way involved with the game, Warner Bros. recently defended the Harry Potter creator, confirming that she’s still a part of the franchise.

Whether or not the cinematic side of Harry Potter faces collapse in light of the disappointing Fantastic Beasts franchise, coupled with all the off-screen controversy remains to be seen. But Hogwarts Legacy certainly promises a bright future for the Wizarding World in gaming.

Hogwarts Legacy will be released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game’s delay affects all of those listed, however, the Nintendo Switch version release date “will be revealed soon”, as stated on the Hogwarts Legacy Twitter account.

Will you be playing Hogwarts Legacy? Let us know in the comments down below!