The new HBO show based on the Harry Potter books looks to be linked with Hogwarts Legacy 2 in some way, and although it isn't clear what this will mean for the game, it comes across as a bit of an odd choice. The Harry Potter series is to the Wizarding World as The Lord of the Rings is to Tolkien's Mythos or as Skywalker Saga is to Star Wars. It is the main pillar of the world and the thing that most mainstream fans know, but it is also almost the only thing fans have.

Although there are spin-offs in the Wizarding World, not all have been successful without the elements from Harry Potter being front and center. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been a successful theater show for some years now, but it literally has Harry Potter in the name. The Fantastic Beasts series started well enough but faltered to a standstill after a couple of disappointing films. Hogwarts Legacy was left as the only successful, major spin-off in the Wizarding World not directly linked to the Boy Who Lived, but that looks like it could be changing.

Hogwarts Legacy 2 Should Focus On New Parts Of The Wizarding World

Harry Potter Needs More Spin-Offs To Grow

Although Harry Potter is one of the biggest franchises in the world, the universe itself feels quite small outside the main series. The franchise isn't that old compared to the likes of Star Wars, Tolkien's legendarium, or Marvel, but it is almost up there in popularity and needs to grow like those franchises rather than relying on its main series. Hogwarts Legacy did a great job expanding the world with its late 1800s setting, but linking the game's sequel to the main series again seems like a step backward rather than forward.

The plans to connect Hogwarts Legacy 2 with the HBO series were mentioned by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment president David Haddad when speaking to Variety.

With Hogwarts having a rich history, there are plenty of eras that Hogwarts Legacy 2 could and probably should visit instead of retreading old ground. The HBO Series already has a narrative of being unnecessary around it, given that the film series is still beloved and holds up well, and tying a sequel to a popular game to it isn't going to help this narrative. This also feels unnecessary, and the excitement at seeing something new from Hogwarts Legacy 2 feels like it's being stripped away as a result.

Hogwarts Legacy Has Lots Of Rich Lore To Cover Without Harry Potter

The Wizarding World Needs To Be More Than The Boy Who Lived

Hogwarts Legacy 2 has the opportunity to grow the Wizarding World into something much more, and there is plenty of lore that can be covered. New lore can also be created to give this world even more depth, similar to what Knights of the Old Republic has done for the Star Wars universe. Although Harry Potter will always be the main pillar of the Wizarding World, it needs to be more than just the Boy Who Lived so that there are more beloved characters outside the main series. Harry Potter needs its own equivalent to KOTOR's Darth Revan, for instance.

Ultimately, it feels as though the Wizarding World is almost afraid to go beyond Harry Potter, since the series can't act as a crutch if it doesn't remain central. This makes sense, given that the Fantastic Beasts series failed quite badly. Although there was enough success to begin development on Hogwarts Legacy 2, having the series go back to Harry Potter seems like the safe option, rather than letting it go down the natural path the first game set for it.

Source: Variety