Hogwarts Legacyhas enjoyed massive success, with the IP drawing 30 million people into playing the game. It isn’t as though the game itself isn’t worthy of the IP either, and although it isn’t flawless, it is almost everything that players wanted out of an RPG in the Wizarding World. Players can attend Hogwarts as a student, exploring the castle, going to classes, and venturing into the surrounding regions that should be far too dangerous for a school to be hosted nearby. That doesn’t mean players haven’t wanted more out of the experience, however.
Practically from its release,Hogwarts Legacyhas had a relatively strong modding community, especially for a title made with Unreal Engine 4. Typically, games that enjoy strong modding communities are made with in-house engines, such asSkyrim’s Creation EngineorBaldur’s Gate 3’s Divinity 4.0 engine, butHogwarts Legacyhas bucked that trend, so much so that Avalanche Software has acknowledged its modding community. This seems to be a recent trend, and modding might not be the niche hobby it used to be, given that many developers are turning to it in order to give their games added longevity.
Hogwarts Legacy Is Providing Mod Support And A Creation Kit
It Is Coming As Part Of A Free Update
As announced on theHogwarts LegacyYouTube channel, the game will receive a free update on January 30 that will add official PC modding support.This will include an in-game mod manager and a creation kitto help modders create projects for the game. This will make both downloading and making mods a great deal easier, opening the door to potentially ground-breaking projects if something likeSkyrim’s modding community is used as a benchmark. This could be a big step forward forHogwarts Legacyand keep agame that has sold 30 million copiesgoing for years to come.
TheHogwarts Legacycreation kit is free to download on the Epic Games store and can be used in Unreal Engine 4.
Although it enjoyed a decently strong modding community before, it shouldn’t be underestimated how much bigger official support can make a game’s mods. The convenience of official modding support allows more people who aren’t willing to go through the annoyance of using third party software to get involved.
Modding without official support can be time-consuming and tedious for both users and creators, but an official mod manager, which allows players to download through in-game UI, makes it more accessible, especially for those who don’t have the time to spend hours trying to get a mod list functioning.
Witcher 3 & Baldur’s Gate 3 Provided Mod Support In 2024
Many Are Trying To Follow In Skyrim’s Footsteps
It seems that developers are acknowledging the power of a game’s modding community and have decided to play into this, rather than preventing free, community-made content from being made. Relatively recently,The Witcher 3andBaldur’s Gate 3were given mod support and better creation tools.
These have been massively beneficial for both, and although it is too recent to tell, the mod support should help these games' longevity.BG3has already benefited from an astounding number of mod downloads due to how easy it is forpeople new to moddingto get involved.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Doesn’t Need To Be An RPG To Succeed, & The First Game Proves It
Hogwarts Legacy is a great game, but Hogwarts Legacy 2 could be even better if it trades its RPG roots for a more immersive life sim instead.
This trend can largely be attributed toSkyrim, due to how staggeringly large and impressive its modding community is. The game is practically immortal, and while it may be unrealistic to assume something likeHogwarts Legacywill replicate that level of success, it will tide people over until a sequel is released. Modders will always find a way,but official mod support makes these small and niche communities much bigger, which is usually the key when it comes to making a game live for as long as possible.
Modding Is Now More Mainstream Than Ever
Hogwarts Legacy And Baldur’s Gate 3 Prove This
WhileSkyrim’s modding community has set a standard of endurance,Baldur’s Gate 3shows how popular modding can be when given the right tools. Posted onXby Larian, the developer confirmed that over 100 million mods had been installed byBG3players.
Hogwarts Legacy’s in-game mod manager doesn’t seem too different fromBG3’s, and with it selling over 30 million copies, it has the potential to enjoy similar numbers, especially with theHarry PotterIP backing it up.
BG3included mod support with Patch 7, and Patch 8 is looking to add cross-platform play.
Modding has never been more popular, and that is because it has never been easier. Yes, there are still risks of games crashing and files conflicting, but with developers acknowledging their modding communities and giving them a helping hand, things have never looked better for modders. More importantly, these services remain largely free. WithHogwarts Legacybeing the latest game to offer official mod support, it feels like a part of the industry is enjoying a golden age, even if the rest of it has suffered from a lack of quality.
