Not everyone will play or support every game that’s going to release in 2023. However, a big upcoming game that is already rife with controversy is Hogwarts Legacy, and many of these controversies stem from Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling. The author has been sharing transphobic and hateful rhetoric not just through her Twitter account for several years, but also from her body of work as a whole. Despite this friction, Hogwarts Legacy is now the top-selling game on Steam, beating out Valve’s own Counter-Strike.
We do not know the exact sales numbers for Hogwarts Legacy on Steam, but it has reached the number one spot in the top-selling games section. It beats out Counter-Strike and other popular first-person shooter games, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Destiny 2, and even Lost Ark.
Related: Hogwarts Legacy customers raise ire over magically canceled pre-orders
Taking a step back from the disastrous fire building up behind the castles of Hogwarts Legacy, reaching this ranking on Steam is an impressive feat, mainly because the game has not been released yet. It is set to arrive on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on February 10. However, the increased sales might be because earlier in December 2022, developers Avalanche Software announced the game would be delayed for last-gen consoles to April 4, and it’s been delayed even longer for the Nintendo Switch until July 25.
We don’t know how long Hogwarts Legacy will remain in this spot. It might stay here until the game releases or deter and fall out of the ranking, depending on player enjoyment and public reception.
Right now, Avalanche Software has an uphill battle with the public in attempting to separate the game from the legacy behavior of Rowling, who has continually engaged in antagonistic discourse on social media. When Hogwarts Legacy was first announced, the developer created an FAQ that shared Rowling’s involvement, stating how she had no direct participation, but her team did assist with the project, and Rowling will undoubtedly receive royalties from the game.
Despite not being involved, many on social media have called to boycott the game when it does release. With Hogwarts Legacy hitting the top spot a month from its official release, it looks like many will still be exploring the magical open world when it arrives.
