As Hogwarts Legacy crossed 24 million units sold worldwide, Warner Bros. announced that its PlayStation-exclusive DLC mission, Haunted Hogsmeade Shop, will be available on all platforms in Summer 2024. The quest was expected to be exclusive for a minimum of six months, but ended up being exclusive for over a year.

Is Hogwarts Legacy getting the rumored DLC in Summer 2024?

Rumors of Hogwarts Legacy getting post-launch DLC started swirling shortly after the game’s release, but Avalanche Software didn’t confirm or deny anything. However, if a new tweet by the studio is anything to go by, fans have a reason to get their hopes up.

“We wanted to let our community know that the Hogwarts Legacy PlayStation-exclusive content will be available on other platforms later this summer, along with additional updates and features for the game,” Avalanche wrote. “Stay tuned in the coming months for more details on what’s coming to Hogwarts Legacy this year.”

Hogwarts Legacy recently broke a 15-year record by becoming the first non-Call of Duty and non-Rockstar Games title to top sales charts in a number of regions including the United States. This feat is particularly noteworthy because Hogwarts Legacy is a single-player game that was mired in controversy due to being based on J. K. Rowling’s work.

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Hogwarts Legacy beats Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to be the best-selling US PS5 game on the PS Store for 2023, as well as on PS5 and PS4 in Europe. The news comes just days after it was revealed that Hogwarts Legacy was the first non-Call of Duty or Rockstar-developed title to top the US sales chart since 2008.

PS5 and PS4 PS Store top downloads in 2023

Hogwarts Legacy takes the top spot in the PS5 downloads chart in North America, although Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 beats it in the PS4 chart. This result comes as little surprise following the reveal of the US sales chart at the end of last week. The US sales charts are usually dominated by the latest Call of Duty title or the newest game developed by Rockstar. However, Hogwarts Legacy became the first best seller to fall outside of those categories since Rock Band in 2008.

Elsewhere in the PS Store charts, EA Sports FC 24 took the top spot for both PS5 and PS4 in Europe. Meanwhile, the biggest first-party release for Sony was Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which hit #3 in North America and #5 in Europe. These are the top PlayStation Store downloads for PS5 and PS4 for 2023:

PS5 US/Canada top downloads

1. Hogwarts Legacy
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
3. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
4. Madden NFL 24
5. NBA 2K24
6. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
7. Baldur’s Gate 3
8. Diablo IV
9. EA Sports FC 24
10. Mortal Kombat 1
11. MLB The Show 23
12. Final Fantasy XVI
13. Resident Evil 4
14. Dead Island 2
15. WWE 2K23
16. Assassin’s Creed Mirage
17. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
18. Dead Space
19. Street Fighter 6
20. Grand Theft Auto V

PS5 EU Top Downloads

1. EA Sports FC 24
2. Hogwarts Legacy
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
4. Grand Theft Auto V
5. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
6. FIFA 23
7. Baldur’s Gate 3
8. Diablo IV
9. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
10. Assassin’s Creed Mirage
11. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
12. Cyberpunk 2077
13. F1 23
14. Resident Evil 4
15. Final Fantasy XVI
16. NBA 2K24
17. NBA 2K23
18. Dead Island 2
19. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
20. Need for Speed Unbound

PS4 US/Canada Top Downloads

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
2. Hogwarts Legacy
3. MLB The Show 23
4. Madden NFL 24
5. NBA 2K24
6. EA Sports FC 24
7. Diablo IV
8. Red Dead Redemption
9. Red Dead Redemption 2
10. WWE 2K23
11. Resident Evil 4
12. Minecraft
13. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
14. Grand Theft Auto V
15. Persona 4 Golden
16. Dead Island 2
17. NHL 24
18. Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
19. Wobbly Life
20. Batman: Arkham Knight

PS4 EU Top Downloads

1. EA Sports FC 24
2. Minecraft
3. Red Dead Redemption 2
4. Grand Theft Auto V
5. FIFA 23
6. The Forest
7. The Last of Us Part II
8. Hogwarts Legacy
9. A Way Out
10. Gang Beasts
11. UFC 4
12. NBA 2K23
13. Need for Speed Heat
14. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
15. The Last of Us Remastered
16. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
17. theHunter: Call of the Wild
18. The Crew 2
19. Star Wars Battlefront II
20. Tekken 7

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Fans have their hopes up for Hogwarts Legacy 2 amid official confirmation from WB Games that the 2023 release was the best-selling game worldwide last year. Despite the controversy surrounding it, Hogwarts Legacy beat popular games like Call of Duty, with sales crossing 22 million copies by the end of 2023.

Hogwarts Legacy 2 seems all but confirmed as Warner Bros. teases more Harry Potter

In an exclusive interview with Variety, WB’s David Haddad expressed his delight at Hogwarts Legacy shattering records only held by popular multiplayer games year after year. “It’s not just the units sold that I’m so proud of, it’s just that it delighted the fans so much,” Haddad gushed. “It brought Harry Potter to life in a new way for gamers where they could be themselves in this world, in this story.”

Hadded went on to say that WB is designing the upcoming Quidditch Champions game to “delight” fans, and it’s also working on “a series of other things” that “will let the fans be part of this [Harry Potter] world and stories and characters in deeper and deeper ways.” What these “things” are is anybody’s guess but fans are convinced that a Hogwarts Legacy sequel is one of them.

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Unfortunately, 2023 wasn’t the best year for PlayStation exclusives. The only title from Sony’s stable to make it on our Game of the Year 2023 list is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. However, there were plenty of third-party masterpieces to make up for it. Check out our favorite games of the year below!

PlayStation LifeStyle Game of the Year 2023 List:

10. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Cyberpunk 2077’s had a long road to redemption. When Son kicked the game off the PlayStation Store because of technical issues, we never thought its DLC would end up on our Game of the Year list two years later. Phantom Liberty has enough content to be a game in its own right and offers an alternate take on how V’s journey could have ended up. Unfortunately, the DLC and the 2.0 update that launched alongside it are only available on PS5. However, if you have the PS4 version, you can still upgrade for free!

Buy Cyberpunk 2077 on Amazon

9. Final Fantasy 16

It seems inevitable that Final Fantasy 16 will be one of the more divisive entries in the series. It primarily concentrates on one character, Clive Rosfield, as opposed to a huge party, and the story is focused on his perspective. For some fans, that eschews franchise tradition, but we appreciated the narrowed focus compared to Final Fantasy 15, which was a bit all over the place. Clive’s story stands out as one of the more poignant we’ve seen in a Final Fantasy, and it’s a spectacle to behold.

Buy Final Fantasy 16 on Amazon

8. Assassin’s Creed Mirage

This pseudo-prequel to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla takes the series back to its roots and pays homage to the original. Unlike the sprawling epics we’ve gotten in the last few entries, Assassin’s Creed Mirage is localized to 9th-century Baghdad and ditches many of the role-playing elements to emphasize stealth, assassinations, and parkour. We couldn’t help but be relieved to play a distilled experience, and Basim Ibn Ishaq’s origin story reminded us why we fell in love with the franchise in the first place.

Buy Assassin’s Creed Mirage on Amazon

7. Hogwarts Legacy

Despite the controversy surrounding the Harry Potter franchise, Hogwarts Legacy managed to captivate us with its rendition of the titular wizarding school and the surrounding countryside. For those of us who grew up alongside Harry, the chance to attend Hogwarts was a dream come true. Exploring its nooks and crannies, attending classes, and seeing the many easter eggs the developers included was a treat. Where Hogwarts Legacy goes above and beyond, though, is that the gameplay is fun enough to stand on its own merits. Even if this is your first visit to Hogwarts, you can still have a blast and leave wanting more.

Buy Hogwarts Legacy on Amazon

6. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order itched the scratch Star Wars fans had for years when it was released in 2019, and we couldn’t wait to get back to a galaxy far, far away in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. It’s everything the first game was, but bigger and better. Cal gets more abilities and equipment, environments are more expensive, and we even get to chill in a cantina whenever we want. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor provides the excitement that most of Disney’s projects have lacked and has done much more to keep the franchise alive than it gets credit for.

Buy Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on Amazon

5. Street Fighter 6

Street Fighter 6 is our favorite fighting game of the year because of its respect for newcomers and veterans. It’s an excellent point to enter the series, thanks to its revamped mechanics and multiple control options. However, it still retains enough of the franchise’s traditions to keep from alienating those who cut their teeth on SF 2-5. We also loved the absolutely bonkers story mode that channeled Yakuza to make one of the best create-a-fighter experiences ever. If you have even a little interest in the fighting genre, it’s worth checking this game out.

Buy Street Fighter 6 on Amazon

4. Resident Evil 4 remake

Resident Evil 4 revolutionized the series when it debuted in 2005 and is lauded as one of the best games ever. Its influence on gaming as a whole is so strong that many doubted that a remake could do it justice. However, Capcom managed to pull off a fantastic retelling that complements the original perfectly. Almost every aspect of the original has been remade or expanded, and the updated gameplay makes blasting through Ganados a thrill. Resident Evil 4 remake is another excellent entry in the alternate continuity started with RE2 remake, and we’re excited to see which game gets reimagined next (fingers crossed for Code Veronica)!

Buy Resident Evil 4 remake on Amazon

3. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Marvel’s Spider-Man and its Miles Morales-centric follow-up were hard acts to follow. Somehow, Insomniac Games managed to outdo themselves and then some with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Peter Parker and Miles join forces to take on a multitude of threats while navigating their personal lives. From Kraven the Hunter’s militaristic menace to the symbiote Venom sapping Peter of both his good nature and healthy relationships, this gutsy sequel took an already solid foundation and gave both heroes an expanded inventory of unlockable abilities, gadgets, and suits with which fans could explore and defend New York City. While this movie could have resulted in a tired storyline or rote gameplay loop, instead it strengthened an already excellent series with thoughtful writing, inclusive characters, and comic book-powered combat to satisfy all players. The biggest problem with this tandem adventure is that it eventually has to end.

Buy Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on Amazon

2. Baldur’s Gate 3

Player agency has been a hot topic in the gaming industry for decades. Some studios like to keep players focused on the task at hand, while others open their worlds up for a bit more interaction. However, with Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios went beyond this. It removed practically all limitations to how a player could affect their surroundings. See a locked door? You can talk the key out of an NPC, blow it down, find a hidden route to completely bypass it, or simply ignore it. The challenge in this CRPG is to find your way, and there are so many possibilities and so much raw content that everyone’s playthrough will be different.

1. Alan Wake 2

It took 13 years for Alan Wake 2 to be released, but the wait was worth it. FBI agent Saga Anderson joins Alan’s struggle to escape the Dark Place, and we’re once again thrust into the madness surrounding the town of Bright Falls. The plot is a roller coaster examining family, religion, and the supernatural, and it had us hooked from beginning to end. Excellent pacing keeps the lengthy story from becoming a slog, and the ability to alternate between Saga and Alan’s story means each player will have a slightly different experience during their playthrough. While it’s rooted in survival horror, we recommend this game to anyone who wants a strong single-player experience.

The post PlayStation LifeStyle’s Game of the Year 2023 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Hogwarts Legacy sales may just end up breaking Call of Duty‘s annual sales record in the U.S., according to data shared by Circana. As of the end of November, the Avalanche Software title remains the best-selling game in the U.S. despite being a single-player title with no DLC available at present. Call of Duty has long held the record for being the best-selling game in the region and remains the most popular premium multiplayer title.

Can Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III sales overtake Hogwarts Legacy before the end of December?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was released in November to poor critic reviews and lots of criticisms by players, but it instantly became the second best-selling game of 2023. Data shared by Circana’s Mat Piscatella also shows that Nintendo exclusive The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is now the third best-selling game of the year in the U.S., and PS5 exclusive Spider-Man 2 retained its fourth position year-to-date.

With December’s market yet to close, it remains to be seen if Hogwarts Legacy will actually break Call of Duty’s record or not. But that a single-player game is on par with the most popular multiplayer shooter around the globe is quite a feat.

The post Hogwarts Legacy Sales May Break Call of Duty’s Annual Record in USA appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Hogwarts Legacy was one of the bigger titles of 2023, and now Avalanche Software is releasing a behind-the-scenes feature about how the game got made. The studio announced this through a trailer that debuted at Back to Hogwarts, an annual celebration of the franchise.

The Hogwarts Legacy documentary is coming out later in the year

The Wizardry Behind Hogwarts Legacy, the name of the full-length feature, will be on the game’s YouTube channel sometime later in the year. The aforementioned trailer has short snippets of interviews from the team talking about their process, as well as a special cameo about a minute in that some PlayStation LifeStyle readers might recognize.

It’s unclear when exactly it will come out later this year. However, it’ll possibly coincide near the RPG’s launch on the Nintendo Switch, which, after several delays, is slated for November 15.

The studio didn’t take this opportunity to announce DLC, much to the chagrin of disgruntled fans that can be found in the replies and comments on Hogwarts Legacy’s various social channels. The team announced in February that it had no current plans for DLC. It has also not released many substantial, content-rich updates to the game after launch. However, it seems like Warner Bros. values the franchise and will likely continue it in other ways.

The post Hogwarts Legacy Behind-the-Scenes Documentary Announced With Trailer appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Now that Hogwarts Legacy is out for last-gen platforms, Sony has added a demo of the game to PS Plus Premium game trials. Unfortunately, however, players have been left confused by the length of the trial because it’s barely enough to get through the game’s opening cinematics.

How long is Hogwarts Legacy demo for PS Plus Premium users?

Those who are forking out cash for the most expensive tier of PS Plus can download either the PS4 or the PS5 version of Hogwarts Legacy, and play it for a whopping total of 45 minutes. Considering the game’s length and the time it takes to actually get into the core gameplay, 45 minutes is inadequate.

It’s unclear if the decision to limit the trial to 45 minutes came from Sony alone or if it was mutually decided by both Sony and publisher WB Games. To put this trial length into perspective, God of War Ragnarok is a much shorter game than Hogwarts Legacy and is currently available to play for three hours via PS Plus Premium. Looking at other third-party games, Persona 5 Royal is available for four hours.

It’s unlikely that the length of Hogwarts Legacy’s trial will be increased, so it’s probably a better idea to rent the disc or await a sale.

The post Hogwarts Legacy Added to PS Plus Premium Game Trials With a Catch appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Hogwarts Legacy has launched on the PS4 today, and early performance comparisons with the game’s PS5 version suggest that the delay was worth it. The last-gen version supports 1600 x 900p at 30-50 frames-per-second (fps) with an unlocked frame rate on the base console, and 1080p at 30-60 fps on PS4 Pro.

Hogwarts Legacy PS4 suffers from a few downgrades but runs surprisingly well

Avalanche Software understandably had to make a few compromises for Hogwarts Legacy’s last-gen versions. As seen in the video below by YouTuber ElAnalistaDeBits, the PS4 version has a lower drawing distance and inferior lighting, and some assets have been removed from the environment to reduce graphics load. Nevertheless, the game puts up a decent performance on dated hardware.

The main issue with Hogwarts Legacy’s last-gen versions is load times. The analysis above claims that the game is about eight times slower than the PS5, which is quite a significant downgrade. But again, this is to be expected.

According to ElAnalistaDeBits, the loading times also affect game menu and castle exploration, which makes moving from one room to another a bit cumbersome.

Hogwarts Legacy on PS4 costs $60. There’s no free upgrade for those who purchase the last-gen version.

The post Hogwarts Legacy PS4 vs. PS5 Performance: PlayStation 4 Visuals Impress appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Hogwarts Legacy received a new PS5 update last night, which adds an Arachnophobia Mode for those who aren’t fans of all the spiders in the game. The enemies have been made visually tolerable, and their skitters and screeches have been removed.

Hogwarts Legacy PS5 update details (May 4, 2023)

The Arachnophobia Mode can be found under Accessibility Settings and can be toggled on and off anytime. In addition to the changes above, the new mode makes spider corpses invisible, but collision is still active, so players don’t get stuck.

Do note that spider images have not been removed from Field Guides.

The update also fixes the following main issues:

• Resolved Lodgok’s Helm of Urtkot quest lock, preventing players from continuing with the quest
• Did some laundry after students pointed out that robes looked dirty
• Multiple save game fixes
• Identified and resolved multiple collections and Field Guide Page issues
• Resolved multiple issues that could cause the player to fall out of the world
• Resolved multiple potential crashes
• Performance fixes and optimizations
• Resolved Levioso Statue page already collected respawning again after importing a PS4 save file to PS5. 

Hogwarts Legacy’s PS5 update contains over 500 general bug fixes and improvements. For complete patch notes, head over to the official website.

The post Hogwarts Legacy PS5 Update Adds Arachnophobia Mode appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

A job advertisement posted by Avalanche Software has given birth to speculations that the studio is working on Hogwarts Legacy 2. The developer, who only just released Hogwarts Legacy back in February, is looking for a Software Engineer to work on an “unannounced AAA console title.”

Publisher Warner Bros. has previously teased Hogwarts Legacy 2

First spotted by GameRant, the job ad was originally posted a week ago and specifically mentioned Avalanche’s work on Hogwarts Legacy before disclosing that the team is recruiting staff for another unannounced AAA game.

Interestingly, the ad has now been modified, but not before GameRant managed to take a screenshot. We also found a copy of the unedited ad on a third-party careers website.

A Hogwarts Legacy sequel isn’t outside the realm of possibility considering the game’s success, as well as statements by Warner Bros. that suggest the publisher is eyeing another entry. However, it’s possible that this job ad is referring to a different game.

The mystery game certainly isn’t recently-announced Quidditch Champions, which has been in development for a while at Unbroken Studios.

What Avalanche Software is working on is anyone’s guess right now, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more information.

The post Hogwarts Legacy Dev Already Working on a New AAA Console Game appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.