Highlights

  • Hogwarts Legacy became the best-selling video game of 2023, breaking the dominance of Call of Duty and Rockstar Games since 2008.
  • The game's appeal to both hardcore gamers and casual Harry Potter fans contributed to its success.
  • The staggered release schedule and availability on multiple platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, helped boost sales throughout the year.

Hogwarts Legacy has officially been crowned the best-selling new video game release of 2023, marking the first time that a non-Call of Duty or Rockstar Games title has taken the spot since 2008. Hogwarts Legacy released to positive reviews and record-breaking sales last February, and many were predicting that it would be the top-selling game of the year well before it even hit store shelves.

To say that there was an incredible amount of hype for Hogwarts Legacy would be an understatement. The concept of an open world game set at Hogwarts is a "dream game" for many people, and the Harry Potter IP meant that it would appeal to more than just hardcore gamers. By appealing to both hardcore gamers and the more casual Harry Potter crowd, Hogwarts Legacy was able to beat Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to become the best-selling game of 2023.

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This is according to data shared by Mat Piscatella, who revealed the top 10 best-selling video games of 2023. Hogwarts Legacy was followed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Madden NFL 24, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo 4, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Mortal Kombat 1, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and EA Sports FC 24. Since 2009, every year has been dominated by Call of Duty or Rockstar. In fact, Call of Duty has been the best-selling game every single year except for 2013 when Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto 5 and 2018 when Rockstar launched Red Dead Redemption 2.

Best-Selling Games of 2023 List

hogwarts legacy key art
  1. Hogwarts Legacy
  2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
  3. Madden NFL 24
  4. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
  5. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
  6. Diablo 4
  7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)
  8. Mortal Kombat 1
  9. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
  10. EA Sports FC 24

Beyond Hogwarts Legacy's hype and the massive Harry Potter fanbase it was able to appeal to, there are other reasons why the game managed to become the best-selling game of 2023. For one, it released early in the year, so it was on the market longer than Modern Warfare 3. Secondly, Hogwarts Legacy was available on the Nintendo Switch, whereas Modern Warfare 3 was restricted to PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles.

Hogwarts Legacy had a staggered release schedule that likely helped boost its sales throughout the year. It initially launched for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X with PS4 and Xbox One ports releasing a few months later. Hogwarts Legacy then made its way to the Nintendo Switch this past November, ensuring that the mega popular game was readily available on the third-best selling video game console ever just in time for the big holiday shopping season.

Hogwarts Legacy will likely continue to sell well in 2024, though it remains to be seen if it will be able to appear in the top 10 best-selling games of the year like how 2022's Modern Warfare 2 made it for the 2023 list. In the meantime, fans can expect plenty more Harry Potter games from WB in future.