On February 7, Hogwarts Legacy, the latest game in the popular Harry Potter book series, was released. Despite all the discussions leading up to it, the action RPG set a new record on the streaming platform Twitch right from the start.
What is behind the boycott? There have been discussions about the “Harry Potter” franchise for several years now. The author J.K. Rowling has been accused of transphobic remarks, while she sees herself as an advocate for women’s rights.
Critics also speak of racist and anti-Semitic views that are reflected in the naming of certain characters and in the stereotypical depictions of some magical creatures.
With Hogwarts Legacy, the debate gained fresh momentum. While fans could hardly wait to dive into the magical world, critics called for a boycott of the game. Some streamers decided not to show it on Twitch.
Yesterday, on February 7, Hogwarts Legacy launched in Early Access, which is reserved for owners of the Deluxe Edition – and immediately set a new record.
The success of Hogwarts Legacy was probably predictable at least after this trailer from gamescom 2022.
More viewers than Cyberpunk
What record did the game break? At its peak, 1.25 million people watched on Twitch as streamers played Hogwarts Legacy. This puts it in 15th place among the games with the most concurrent viewers of all time (via TwitchTracker).
This is quite an achievement given that the action RPG is not a multiplayer title, contrary to some hopes. Normally, games like LoL, Minecraft, Fortnite, or CS:GO dominate Twitch, alongside categories like “Special Events” and “Just Chatting.”
Hogwarts Legacy thus surpasses Cyberpunk 2077 as the single-player game with the most concurrent viewers on Twitch. Cyberpunk managed to attract 1.14 million viewers at its launch in 2020.
For comparison: The record for 3.33 million viewers is held by Spanish streamer Ibai with a boxing event, followed by LoL with 3.11 million. These numbers usually stem from multiplayer games due to significant tournaments that are prepared for weeks.
Where does the success come from? The success of Hogwarts Legacy can be explained by several factors:
- It is one of the most discussed games of recent years, but also one of the most eagerly awaited – it was already among the top sellers on Steam a month before release.
- Hogwarts Legacy uses the “Twitch Drops” strategy: for every 30 minutes watched, viewers can receive a total of 4 cosmetic items.
- The exclusivity of the early access: until February 10, access to the magic school is reserved for owners of the nearly 70 € expensive Deluxe Edition.
- Some of the biggest streamers in the world are playing Hogwarts Legacy and already bring a huge reach themselves.
- Another possible reason is that fans of Harry Potter want to experience the game without financially supporting it, which is why they choose the indirect route through Twitch.
Now it remains to be seen whether Hogwarts Legacy can live up to the hype or whether the interest fueled by the controversy will soon wane.
Hogwarts Legacy is not only well-received by viewers on Twitch but also by players and testers. The game apparently impresses especially with its game world, exciting battles, and likely a significant nostalgia factor. You can read here what the first tests say:
