Hogwarts Legacy Achieves Record-Breaking Launch as the Largest Harry Potter Game Release of All Time in the UK

The UK retail scene has witnessed a phenomenal start for Hogwarts Legacy, securing its position as the number one game of the week, according to GfK data. This achievement marks the most successful launch for any Harry Potter game, with sales exceeding the previous best, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone from 2001, by 64%. Notably, the most successful week for a Harry Potter game was not a launch week, but rather the second week of Philosopher’s Stone, driven by the hype surrounding the movie. Even in comparison to that week, Hogwarts Legacy managed to surpass it by 2%. The significance of this accomplishment is further amplified when considering that it only accounts for physical sales. Hogwarts Legacy is expected to have garnered a substantial number of digital downloads, which will be reported later in the week. In contrast, Philosopher’s Stone did not have any digital sales in 2001, suggesting that the success of Hogwarts Legacy will be even more pronounced once all the data is available. The Harry Potter franchise ranks 26th in the UK, trailing behind the Forza series but ahead of The Legend of Zelda. In comparison to last year’s major fantasy release, Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy’s first-week sales have seen an 80% increase. The sales distribution for Hogwarts Legacy was predominantly on the PS5, accounting for 82%, while the remaining 18% were on Xbox Series S and X. It is anticipated that digital sales will narrow the gap between the two platforms, as Xbox’s digital share tends to be higher than its physical sales, partly due to the popularity of the digital-only Xbox Series S. As the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game are set to release in the coming months, Hogwarts Legacy is expected to maintain its presence in the charts. Sony’s God of War Ragnarok has held its position at number two, with a 10% increase in sales. The game is part of a highly popular PS5 hardware bundle. FIFA 23 has dropped from number one to number three, experiencing a slight 3% decrease in sales week-over-week, while Mario Kart 8: Deluxe remains at number four, despite a 10% decline in sales. Pricing adjustments for Nintendo Switch games have led to significant movements in the charts. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has jumped seven places to number five, following a 40% increase in sales. New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe has risen eight places to number ten, and Mario Strikers: Battle League Football has seen a 197% sales surge, propelling it up 25 places. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury has grown by 68% and moved from number 27 to number 15. Mario Tennis Aces has re-entered the chart at number 17, with sales up 182%, and Luigi’s Mansion 3 is now at number 20, with an 88% increase in sales. Recent release Dead Space has fallen from number three to number seven, with a 52% drop in sales, while Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake has plummeted from number ten to number 34 in its second week, following a 60% decline in sales. The GfK UK Boxed Top Ten for the week ending February 11, 2023, is as follows: Last Week This Week Title New Entry 1 Hogwarts Legacy 2 2 God of War Ragnarok 1 3 FIFA 23 4 4 Mario Kart 8: Deluxe 11 5 Animal Crossing: New Horizons 5 6 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 3 7 Dead Space 6 8 Nintendo Switch Sports 7 9 Minecraft (Switch) 18 10 New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe The top Harry Potter game launches, according to GfK data, are: Position Year Title 1 2023 Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros) 2 2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (EA) 3 2010 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1 - 4 4 2002 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (EA) 5 2005 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 6 2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (EA) 7 2007 Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix (EA) 8 2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 1 (EA) 9 2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (EA) 10 2003 Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup 11 2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2 (EA) 12 2016 LEGO Harry Potter Collection (Warner Bros) 13 2001 LEGO Creator: Harry Potter (Focus) 14 2012 Harry Potter for Kinect (Warner Bros) 15 2005 Harry Potter Collection (EA) 16 2004 Harry Potter Deluxe Edition (Aspyr)