Hogwarts Legacy Had a Bigger Digital Opening Week Than Elden Ring

Another day, another milestone for the runaway success of Hogwarts Legacy. According to GamesIndustry.biz’s Christopher Dring, the wizarding adventure’s opening week trumped last year’s big release, Elden Ring, outpacing the latter in digital sales across Europe by an astounding 56%.

The digital data is in. Hogwarts Legacy's opening week was 56% bigger across Europe than Elden Ring. It's the biggest game launch outside of FIFA & Call of Duty since Red Dead Redemption 2.

It backs up the theory that gamers are gravitating towards the big brands at the moment

— Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) February 16, 2023

True to its title, Hogwarts Legacy has rapidly been building a legacy of its own, having also dominated Elden Ring on the physical sales front in the U.K. by boasting a lead of 80%. The game has proven a big hit on streaming platforms, blitzing viewership numbers on Twitch and concurrent players on Steam.

It was natural that such a significant IP would make waves, though the sheer impact that Avalanche Software’s open-world title has made has perhaps caught some by surprise. Once considered at risk of suffering from widespread boycotts, the controversial reputation of the wizarding world seems to have actually proven beneficial.

Elden Ring tallied over 13 million units across its first five weeks, a figure that Hogwarts Legacy will likely topple by that same time. It will also see an additional boost later on in the year, due to its delayed release on various platforms. PS4 and Xbox One users will join in on the fun on April 4, while Nintendo Switch enthusiasts have an even more agonizing wait until July 25.

When it’s all said and done, the Harry Potter predecessor won’t just have made a mark on 2023, but will likely stave off single-player competitors for years to come, as far as buzz goes.