Highlights

  • Warner Bros. Games is doubling down on live-service releases due to the unpredictability of big-budget AAA games.
  • Hogwarts Legacy 2 becoming a live-service game as a result of this shift could offer an extended lifespan and the ability to evolve over time.
  • However, if Hogwarts Legacy 2 adopts the live-service model, it may face challenges like always-online requirements and monetized cosmetics.

Despite the downfall of its most recently published IP, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Warner Bros. Games has decided to double down on live-service releases. According to Warner Bros Discovery executive JB Perrette, this decision was primarily inspired by the fact that big-budget AAA games are "volatile" because their financial success is unpredictable, whereas live-service games require less to make and can potentially make more in the long run if they succeed. While this might make sense from a business standpoint, it all but seals Hogwarts Legacy 2's fate as a live-service game.

The live-service model has received its fair share of complaints over the last decade, frequently labeled as nothing more than a greedy money-making scheme. Indeed, live-service games are generally developed with money in mind, but they aren't inherently bad. Games like Destiny 2, No Man's Sky, and Path of Exile utilize a live-service model and have been very successful regardless. As such, although Hogwarts Legacy 2 as a live-service game would come with cons, it would also come with pros.

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Pros of Hogwarts Legacy 2 Being a Live-Service Game

Hogwarts Legacy 2 Can Have an Extended Lifespan

One of the benefits of Hogwarts Legacy 2 being a live-service game would be an extended lifespan. Hogwarts Legacy's main story is only around 26.5 hours long, according to HowLongToBeat, and takes an additional 40 hours or so to complete everything the game has to offer. At that point, players can start a new game with a character that belongs to a different Hogwarts house, but it only changes a few hours of the story. This ultimately results in poor replay value and causes players to put the game down shortly after their initial completion of it. If Hogwarts Legacy 2 were a live-service game, its lifespan would potentially be much longer than the first game's, as new content would be added over time.

Hogwarts Legacy 2 Can Adapt and Evolve Over Time

Live-service's biggest advantage over "one and done" games is that it acts as the catalyst for a game's evolution. Essentially, the live-service model places a game in an eternal beta stage, where players can provide feedback and potentially see the game adapt and change as a result. Big-budget games can certainly receive periodic updates, but the live-service model allows these updates to be more regular and more significant than they could otherwise. Therefore, Hogwarts Legacy 2 would presumably receive the same treatment as a live-service game.

Cons of Hogwarts Legacy 2 Being a Live-Service Game

Hogwarts Legacy 2 Would Always Be Online

Almost anytime the gaming community learns that a game will always be online, a large portion of it lets out a unified sigh. The reasoning behind this is that always-online games rely on servers, which are notorious for failing, especially at a game's launch. Unfortunately, live-service games require players to be connected to the internet at all times, which means Hogwarts Legacy 2 would be subject to the same.

Hogwarts Legacy 2's Cosmetics Would Likely Be Monetized

Apart from Hogwarts Legacy's beautifully crafted Hogwarts castle and the spell-binding magic of exploring the world of Harry Potter, one of the game's best features is its cosmetics system. As players collect unique gear such as robes, wand handles, and scarves, they can customize their look with the appearance of those items they've already collected, free of charge. If Hogwarts Legacy 2 does turn out to be a live-service game, however, it would likely monetize some or all of its cosmetics, as live-service games often thrive on what players are willing to spend to purchase new outfits for their characters.

Whether Hogwarts Legacy 2 is in development and whether it will adopt the infamous live-service model remains to be seen. However, if it does, it isn't necessarily doomed, as there are some benefits to it being a live-service game, should Avalanche and Warner Bros. handle it with care.