Warner Bros. has reportedly halted plans for an expansion of Hogwarts Legacy, its most successful gaming title in recent years, amid restructuring initiatives within its gaming division. The downloadable content (DLC) was anticipated for a 2025 release and was set to introduce new story elements to the action-adventure game, according to a recent report by Bloomberg. The company has significantly reduced its gaming operations in 2023, closing three studios and scrapping various projects after facing a loss of $300 million (approximately Rs. 2,564 crore) on its major investments in 2024.
Hogwarts Legacy DLC Cancelled
The Bloomberg report, released on Thursday, indicated that the Hogwarts Legacy expansion was intended for launch later this year alongside a “Definitive Edition” that would compile all previously released game content. Although Warner Bros. had not officially confirmed the plans for the DLC, insiders revealed that the company decided to cancel the project this week.
Sources stated that Warner Bros. was concerned about the DLC’s content depth, feeling it did not provide sufficient value for its expected price. The expansion was being developed by Avalanche Software in collaboration with Rocksteady Studios, which launched Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League in 2024. Although specific details about the cancelled expansion remain scarce, it reportedly aimed to include a companion storyline that had been excluded from the main game.
Selling over 34 million copies since its debut in 2023, Hogwarts Legacy has proven to be a tremendous success for Warner Bros., with Avalanche now working on a sequel that holds significant importance for the company’s gaming division.
However, subsequent titles released by WB following the launch of Hogwarts Legacy have not met sales forecasts. The high-budget live service shooter, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, struggled to engage players and triggered layoffs at Rocksteady. This title incurred a loss of $200 million (approximately Rs. 1,751 crore) for the company. Despite plans for ongoing support with regular content updates, Rocksteady announced in December 2024 that the game would receive its final update in January.
Additionally, Warner Bros. suffered a $100 million (around Rs. 854 crore) loss on other titles launched in 2024, including Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions and MultiVersus. In January, WB Games announced the cessation of development on MultiVersus and confirmed the game would be offline by May 30.
In a further effort to streamline its operations, Warner Bros. recently closed three studios and cancelled development of the problematic Wonder Woman game. The shuttered studios include Monolith Productions, known for Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Player First Games, the studio behind MultiVersus, and Warner Bros. Games San Diego, which was reportedly engaged in a kart racing game featuring Warner Bros. intellectual properties.
