This year saw several titles capture the audience’s attention and pique the world’s interest, but none of them captured the public’s attention quite like Hogwarts Legacy.
This open-world prequel/spin-off of the Harry Potter series dominated the industry-leading search engine, which makes it the most searched game of the year. Its success in capturing the top spot underscores the enduring allure of the Harry Potter universe and the game’s broad appeal beyond the core gaming audience.
Released initially on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X earlier this year, Hogwarts Legacy quickly became the year’s fastest- and best-selling game. Warner Bros. reported that by May, the game had sold an impressive 15 million copies worldwide.
This commercial success came despite a boycott by some Harry Potter fans over JK Rowling’s controversial comments perceived as transphobic. The game’s popularity even outshined other major releases such as Starfield, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Diablo 4, which also enjoyed successful sales and substantial popularity.
Hogwarts Legacy’s ascent to the top of the search engine this year is even more remarkable considering it didn’t secure any nominations at The Game Awards. This discrepancy may stem from a significant portion of Potterheads who aren’t avid gaming enthusiasts and therefore might be less aware of industry-specific events like The Game Awards. Despite the game’s absence from award nominations, it wasn’t enough to diminish its popular among audiences.
Another contributing factor to Hogwarts Legacy’s widespread popularity could be the successful live-action adaptation of The Last of Us, which became the second-most Googled game of the year. The popularity of TV adaptations of games as well as the other way around, highlights the crossover potential of different types of media and their impact on each other.
The most searched for games of 2023
- Hogwarts Legacy
- The Last of Us
- Connections
- Battlegrounds Mobile India
- Starfield
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- スイカ ゲーム (Watermelon Game)
- Diablo IV
- Atomic Heart
- Sons of the Forest
Interestingly, games such as Battlegrounds Mobile India and Connections nearly topped the list. The former only saw its ban lifted in May. Apparently, this was enough to vault it to near the top of the search engine’s most keyed-in phrases and terms. Finally, Call of Duty is absent on the list and so are two of the year’s best-selling and most-critically beloved titles: Super Mario Bros. Wonder and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Ultimately, the best way to explain Hogwarts Legacy’s popularity is the strength of the Wizarding World brand and how it attracts casual audiences to whatever media it’s headed to next. Hogwarts Legacy is a game that appeal to those who typically don’t engage with video games. It’s a game that basically sells itself to anyone who’d like to experience the Wizarding World universe in a more interactive format.
The list of Google’s most searched games this year, which includes titles such as Baldur’s Gate 3 and Diablo 4, showcases the health and diversity of the gaming industry globally. It reflects the varying interests of gamers worldwide and the impact of external media, such as television adaptations, on the popularity of video games.
Furthermore, it illustrates the undying appeal of the Wizarding World. While a follow-up to the original octology isn’t in the works and the Fantastic Beasts spin-off series is as good as dead, it’s been rumored that a Hogwarts Legacy TV show is in development. Finally, HBO confirmed earlier this year that a TV show reboot of the billion-dollar film franchise is in the works.
